The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-10

| in the state house and was called to or
der by President J. F. Tomlinson Of Fair
land. the other officers present being
| ice-President Darnen of Indianapolis,
Secretary Robe of Greencastle and
| Treasurer Thompson Of Marion. There
were present nearly fifty members,
! among them being the following:
Judge Cowgirl, Wabash; DR. Sims. In
| dianapolis; Mortimer lowering, Lafay-
| cite. secretary National Shropshire
breeders association; ]. L. Thompson,
| Marion; S. w. DUNCAN. Franklin; ex-
| Senator Mound, Charlottesville; Sid Con-
ger, Flat Rock; J. H. Peed and Jasper
| ". Davidson, members of the state board
Of agriculture; Marion Williams, Mum
| Gle; Col Beeler, Indianapolis; Prof w.
A. Bill. Indianapolis; Marion Steele,
| Greenfield; J. f. Tomlinson, Falkland;
| Cal DarnelI, Indianapolis; ]. w. Robe,
| Greencastle; ]. L. Thompson, Marion;
J. w. Hull, Indianapolis; c. A. Phelps.
| New Castle; ]. Z. Higgins. New Mays
Vile; the Hon. J. A. Mount, Shannon
| dale: j. NJ. Harshbarge, Charlottesville;
! Louis Schneck, Seymour; J. W. Taylor,
| TOWNSVILLE: w. w. White Franklin,
| and ]. w. w. Sunman, Spades.
New members were admitted as fol-
| a
| BinfOrd, Greenfield; d. H. Hitchcog,
Brjmfeld; Robert Tomlinson. Falkland,
| David COnger, Flat Rock.
The Presidents Address.
The address Of President Tomlinson
was interesting and covered a number of
| questions of interest to the sheep-raisers
of the state and country. He said:
Observation-Disclosures year has passed
| On \ 10
| terests of sheep husbandry. Whether
| or not we shall continue to raise sheep
| is the question.
Perhaps the prices Of sheep and
lambs have declined in the principal
] markets in the last two years, and espe-
| cially on fine wool Many sheep-raisers
have reduced their herds and it is my
| opinion that one-half the farmers in
| Indiana have sold their hOcl1s. Hence
| the question. will sheep-raisng pay?'
| Let us look into the causes of this con-
| dition. Doubtless the uncertain policy
| Of the government in regard to the tariff
on wool and the proposed reduction have
| had something to do with it. There are
/ other more potent causes, however.
Il fear that we stake too much on the
/ profit of wool and not enough on the
| profit of lambs for market. At present
| foreign competition is one of the causes
| that threaten to cripple the wool occu-
patton of the herdsmen. Our chief COM
| country are similar to our own, and are
used for the better kinds Of clothing.
| The imports Of this wool have greatly
| increased of late and so long as our
home product is insufficient for our
manufacturers these imports will be re-
| quired. There are, however, discourage
/ ing features in Australia as well as here,
| and we should not become discouraged.
| During the past few years wool has de-
| clined in Australia SO 1-3 per cent in
Z 1sro fc Of frrr
| Their decline of u per cent. Moreover
| the Australian shepherd has to contend
| with drOuths that injure the pastures,
floods that destroy the lambs, rabbits
! that destroy the grass and parasitic
| diseases that commit disastrous ravages.
An Unparalleled Drought.
again we are just emerging from
! drought almost unparalleled. This has
had a remarkable effect upon farmers
who, seeing the approach Of winter and
| their stock poor have sold their sheep
on account of the scarcity of feed. Again,
! the country has been suffering from the
| effects of the closest financial stringency
! experienced for twenty years. These
/ causes have led to an unloading Of sheep
and have furnished the markets with
an over supply, which has glutted them,
! and the scarcity of pasture has contrt-
buted to make bad markets.
ut appears TO me that the sheep
| panic is a false alarm; that some one
! has cried Wolf! wolff when there is no
wolf and the shepherds have become
| frightened. These causes give some
room for encouragement, but has not
! the greatest discoura cement arisen from
the fact that they have thrown the
shepherds into a panic and they, not
the causes, have broken down the mar
/ ket?
Il beg leave to submit the following
suggestions for the encouragement or
| sheep-raising This business will rally
and the farmers who have sold their
herds will want to buy, and those who
are now holding their sheep will be soon
| supplying an advanced market. Every
! farmer can afford to keep a small herd
! of sheep even if prices are low. The con-
sumption Of mutton is on the increase
| in the United States, and is doubling
/ each year The American farmer should
supply this demand. And this thought
| is emphasized by the further statement
! of the butchers of the large cities that
they are compelled to depend upon Cana
| da, South America, Ireland and Scot
/ land for their best mutton. Why cannot
| America, with all her wealth Of feeds,
produce this high-priced meat? The
| farmers are to blame
''Take the average year and what
| other live stock pays better than sheep?
| Sheep furnish two profts--the wool and
| the lambs; they require very little grain;
/ they are excellent fertilizers; they carry
| the fertility of the valleys and deposit
| il on the uplands. Any farmer can af-
J ford to keep a small herd of sheep for
| the sole benefit Of killing off the weeds.
! They are proof against the rigoTs Of our
! climate and their digestion is far more
| perfect than that of any other domestic
| animal. Let them be properly bred,
| cared for and handled and they will al
ways be a profit, high tariff or low
| tariff"
Partisan Address.
The address was loudly applauded as
! being non-partisan, something that
could not be said of several papers that
| followed-especially one by a republican
ex-senator, ]. A. Blount of Shannondale,
who went into the matter from strict
| " partisan standpoint and was loud
| in his denunciation Of President Cleve-
| land and the democratic party. His re-
marks were bitterly opposed at the close
/ by members of the convention and he
was accused of looking at the subject
through colored glasses"-a fact plainly
| evident.
Changing Phases Of Sheep Industry
was discussed by j. H. Hull Of this city
as follows:
There is an infinite variety Of opinion
| surrounding the changes now taking
| place in sheep husbandry, as a result
| of the present import duty regulation,
which IS somewhat overwhelming TO
| those directly interested in sheep. An
| imposition upon 100000 farmers to
| force a favor that is not favor, in
/ which there is no reality uDOn class