The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-04-25
THE CONDITIONS OF PROFiTA.
BILE SHEEP CULTURE.

Abstract of Lecture Delivered Before
she Students of the School of Agricul'
ture. Ohio state University, by J. II
Miller, Sunbury, q.
wish to speak of six factors affect
ing the profits OF sheep husbandry
Three of them affect production, three
the market for the products. men
tion frst-the factors relating to pro
duction because | think every industry
must stand upon its inherent useful
ness and adaptability. The sheep in
dustry is not under present methods
and prices yelling as good profits as
even some other farm industries. But
i think it is as profitable as some OF
those other Industries carried on in as
unimproved methods.
Pointing out error and imperfections
is always unpleasant. but these things
must be seen AMI recognized before
any well-defnel action toward i'm
provement Will be made, II Is at the
risk of mourning criticism. that l say
we must first of all grow better sheep.
think the I'm ted States has some as
good sheep, perhaps in all breeds. as
are to be found anywhere. But the
average flock OF the country is inferior.
H. IS cross-bred in character. produced
without any well founded or we'll out
lined plans. Uniformity in both fleece
and feeding characteristics is wanting.
think it is true ;hat the sheep sent to
our great central markets do not show
as good breeding as the hogs. This is
a, 0e f, tlo :
sheep have not been bred exclusively
for meat production. So long as the
wool product alone gave satisfactory
profit little attention was given to the
development of a meat-producinr ami
anal. The prevailing method OF buying
wool in the grease and making little or
no distinction between prime and poor
condition has done much to intensity
this one-sided development of the
flocks of the country. in these very
imperfections is basel in part our hope
for the Industry. They reveal clearly
the possibility of better things. lie. it
be einphasizei that the final value of
the sheep lies in its two rro1ucts-mut-
ton and wool. The fancy points and
l.gistry number OF the stud-aocil
breeder are not detected by the scales
in either the fleece or carcass.
AS the complement of breed is feed,
i name it second in the trinity upon
which the industry depends. Here
again l think we may confidently hope
for better things. Sheep are kept most
cheaply when they gather their feed
from the fields. Comparatively little
attention has been given to extending
the grazing period. think this must
be done, possibly to eight months OF
the year. If done it must be throngh
the help of some as yet little known or
unknown forage plants. There is q
very large field here for the agricul-
tural student. 1t is not only early
spring and late fall that need to be
provided for. The period of late sum-
mer drought is q disastrous one to
flocks. TO lengthen the grazing period
we are now using rye for early spring,
sweet corn and clover for the summer
drought and rape and rye for the late
fall These are only partially satisfac-
tory. Our first crop of rape was de-
stroyed by the cabbage lonse. Sweet
corn must be cut to be fed. The COM
mon red clover does not grow rapidly
enough. In the semi-arid regions of
the west l,.cern is literally making the
desert blossom. Thorough underdrain-
ing might enable it do its beneicent |
work in Ohio. We need also to give |
more attention to the production of |
our common grasses.
The third consideration to be studied |
is that of realizing approximately the
fertilizing value of the weddings that
the chemist finds in them. We are told
that sheep appropriate to themselves
only about twenty per cent. of the
value of the food they con-
sumo. Yet sheep raisers are prone to
compare their incomes with those of
grain raisers not counting the manure
IN the values produced. Very few
farmers think of buying fertility in
the form of hay. bran and the various
feeds. If they found that
4 ton OF bran or linseed-meal did not
return more than its cost in milk, meat
Or wool they would discontinue their
use. Yet the chemists tell us that in
feeding ton of bran we ought to pro-
iuSc Hllie WOTLu Ol |
md from ton of linseed-meal sixteen
iollars' worth.
Doubtless we have not learned
low to preserve all the fertil-
zing elements until they can be
gotten to the fields and do not
know where and when best to apply.
This is another of the problems l lay
before yoa.
Touching the ways of enlarging and
improving the markets for the pro-
lucts of the industry l mention first:
he field of usefulness that wool sup
,lies should be retained for it. This
S not a demand for fovoritism in legis-
alton, but is a demand for prevention
If fraudulent imitation of the manu-
actures of wool.
From the government publication
Wool and manufactured learn that
he total amount of secured wool used
n the United States in 1890 was in
'ound numbers 215, 200, 900 pounds, and
hat there were mixed with it in the pro-
ess of manufacture 164, 900, 900 pounds
# shoddy, cotton and animal hair.
The total United States product of
coured wool was only lis, ,O0O, 900
'ounds. The substitutes amount to
ver forty per cent. more than the
omestic product. 1t would take over
S, ZOO. 900 sheep to replace them with
ure wool. There is the far greater
injury resulting to the final purchas-
rs of wooden fabrics but that is not in
oint to discuss here.
The second consideration also refers {
0 enlarging the market. A careful
stimate based on the statistics of 1890
laces the value of the woolen goods
onsumed in the United States annual ,
y at $3.50. 900, 900. This is about ten
er cent. of the total expenditures for !
ecessities and comforts There are
pent for tobacco and liquors 81, ,595,- !
90. oo0 annually. Could this gigantic ,
waste be stoppeda 1 think it very safe
o say that the expenditures for wool
n goods would have its proportionate I
Increase. The well known fact that !
he clothing expenditure of 4 people I
'ears the closest relation to ciyiliza- c
ion and prosperity makes it probable q
hat this estimate is too low. But
aking ten per cent. of this waste
rould increase that expenditure fifty {
er cent.requiring the wool product of