St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-26

with their tributary streams and riv-
uletS, supply an abundance of water;
the soil, though black and rich at the
surface, is everywhere undertake with
strata of gravel which provide natura
drainage, keeping the soil dry and pre-
venting foot rot and the myriad dis
eases that spring from stagnant water.
That the prosecution of this industry in
the past
Haas Been Profitable
is made evident by its recent rapid
growth. Whereas the statistics of 1885
credited the farmers of the state with
but 274,00O sheep, recent Investigations
war; ant the statement that there are
/ within the boundaries of the state this
present winter much more than twice
that number. It has been the custom
of the people heretofore to look to the
southwest of us for their supply of store
sheep. Large tlOckS of half fat sheep
have been brought back from Montana
and finished off on the abundant and
cheap feeds of this state; the introduce
ton of thoroughbred rams from the
East and the profitable growing of thor
Oughbred flOckS in our own state. Will
soon change all this. Very wisely the
production Of good mutton economic
ally receives the primary consideration
with wool secondary product, hence
fiocks of OXfOrdshire, Shropshire and
other breeds are finding favor to fur
| nish young thoroughbred rams to cross
on the common grade merinos. 1t is
easy to figure out on paper the profits of
flock OF ewes i'll this country of cheap
| lands and cheep foods. The beauty of
: II j. al urhn frio
J sheep raising here with Intelligence
! and skill have figured it out in cold
| cash.
| Whether it is true or moi that Mime
! sofa can compete with Iowa and the
states in the corn belt, pure and simple,
| in raising pork, it is certain that she
! possesses every advantage when it
! comes to sheep. 1t makes an Eastern
! feeders mouth water to think of bran at
! $40 to Sl2 4 ton. screenings at IS to IS,
and yet lambs bringing at the stock
! yards at st. Paul five and six cents a
pound.
There rs Money
every time in combining the lambs and
/ the feed ut these figures; it is no theory
! feeders all along the line Of the rail
roads are finding it a fact every veal r.
! Again, no animal is better able to take
care of itself during the busy seeding
! and harvest season than the sheep.
! This fact, with the fOndness OF the
! sheep for weeds. points out IFS place on
! the farm in the Red river valley or other
! wheat growing sections. The products
! of lambs and wool are there almost clear
! gain. and there is no better instrument
! for aiding in cleaning the land of weeds
| than the teeth of the sheep. There is
! no system of agriculture praeticed in
| this state wherein the sheep does not
! or cannot form an important factor. and
| the day is not far distant when the
! 1lOcks of Mime sofa will Outrival those
| in Montana al d the states i'll the arid
| belt.
The profits of sheep raising are rea-
! sonably certain. On account of we'll
drained soil and dry air sheep have
! been unusually healthy from the time
! OF their first introduction into the state
/ to the present. The winters, though
! cold. are dry and free from those chilly
| sleet storms that kill OF the fOcks in
! other ATTITUDES, and. taken altogether
! for an all-the-year-rOund place to make
money in the sheep business, MinneSo-
! Ia stands at the head. Her position in
! the very center OF the continent. with
/ fast freight trains running in every di-
rectiOn and low freight rates, makes all
markets accessible to her husbandmen,
| and the man who now invests his money
! in sheep, and conducts his business in
/ diligently, is going to get in on the
/ ground floor, and is certain to make
! money. CLINTON ID. SMITH,
Director Minnesota Experiment Station.