Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-03-12
THE SHEEP INDUSTRY.
The FlOcks Of Audrain Increas-
ing-WOOl Has Advanced
and sheep Have More
Than Doubled In
Value of Late
Years.

~ IL EtAtbA IA NtS AStehGss &4
mexico, NO., March 10.-In is-
suing the call for the annual meet
ing of the Audrain County Wool
Growers association permit me to
give a brief history of this associa-
ton and to call attention to the
present prosperous condition of the
wool growing industry in Audraln
county.
This association was organized
in April, 1888, with only eighteen
charter members. At this time the
wool growing industry was at a
very low ebb. One of the great
political parties had committed
itself to q tariff reform with wool
on the free list-a proposition which
was looked upon with great dis
favor by wool growers generally.
Missouri wool had been selling
from Is to 20 cents per pound.
Good breeding ewes sold as low as
81 Is per head, and the future of
this industry looked decidedly
blue.
Under such circumstances few
growers had courage to maintain or
increase their hocks. The men,
however, who had sufficient conf
dence in the future of this branch
of farming to hold on to their
sheep have reaped a reward be.
yond their utmost expectations
Wool has advanced and sheep have
more than doubled In value.
Contrary to the general decline,
which has taken place in sheep
husbandry in the country at large,
the focks of Audrain county have
increased. The future of the wool
growing industry now looks bright,
particularly in this section of Mis-.
souri,. From 1885 to 1891 the num-
Der of sheep in the United States
decreased fourteen per cent. From
1885 to 1890 the number of sheep
in Missouri had decreased nearly
forty per cent, but in 1891 there
appears to be q small increase.
From 1885 to 1889 the number oil
sheep in Audrain county decreased
over thirty-six per cent. In 1896
there was an increase of about two
and one-half per cent, but in 1891
there seems to be a regular boom
in sheep. There are no official
figures for 1891 at my command,
but from lists of fock-masters,
which have been kindly furnished
me by prominent sheep MIN from
different parts of the country, Civ
ing names of owners with number
of sheep on hand in January, 1891,
as compared with the number on
hand one year ago, there appears to
have been an increase Of fully sixty
per cent. These figures and esti.
mates leave no room for doubt
but that there are at least 24,5O(
sheep in this county and that the
clip of 1891 will exceed 160, GOO
pounds, this amount being the
largest for many years. Surely Aa-
drain county farmers know a good
thing when they see 1t and will
back up their judgment.
The growing Importance of Mex
leo as a market tor the wool OF this
and adjoining counties is being
more fully realized by the growers
each year, as shown by the con.
stantly increasing receipts and
shipments at this point.
Contrary to the custom which
prevails at most of the towns com
peting for the wool trade of this
portion of the State, namely: that
of buying up the wool and forward
ing it In small lots to st. Lo ais,
Chicago and other markets, to be
sold on commission, the wool is al
lowed to accumulate in large lots.
Numerous buyers are thereby al.
tracted to Mexico and the wool il
sold direct to manufacturers or t,
manufacturer agents, thus saving
the commission and other charges
| of the middlemen's other markets
The competition among buyers
in Mexico is such that all this saw.
ing is paid to the grower. These
facts fully explain why it, is tina
the prices are so much higher il
| Mexico than in the surrounding
towns.
AS to what prices will be real.
lied for the coming clip an opinier
is only guess work; but the tone O
the market at present indicates thai
fully last seasons prices will bs
| paid if an actual advance is no,
maintained.
Wool suitable for the manufac
ture of worsted goods is in best de.
mand and at a slight advance ovel
the price paid in February of las
year, although similar wool in Eu
rope is from Is to 20 per cent. be
low the price OF this time one yea
ago. This condition of the WOO
market may be set down as one o
the beneficial results of the McKin
ley bill; at least, so far as WOO
growers r concerned.
On the probable improved de
mand for domestic wool, by tn,
rnoprfarturor of fhir oo,ntry