The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-20
CLOSING INSTITUTE
WORK OF THE SEASON ENDED
WITH A SESSION AT
CARVER.
CALLED 1T A SHEEP RALLY.
FARMERS URGED TO ENGAGE IN
RAISING AND FEEDING STOCK
FOR MARKET
EXTENSION OF THE INDUSTRY
esting Address by Prof. Thomas
Shaw.

The Minnesota State Farmers insti-
tute closed it's work for the winter
season yesterday with a special meet
Ing, termed by the institute a sheep
rally, held in the town hall at Carver,
MINI. The rally was held for the pur-
pose of putting before the people Of
Minnesota the advisa bility of extern
sively engaging in the raising and feed
Ing Of sheep for the market. With
this end in view. several of the lead
ing sheep raisers and buyers Of this
and adjoining states We're invited to be
present and give their views on this
Ito Minnesota farmers) most impor-
tant branch Of farm work. In point Of
attendance the meeting was not a sue
cess, owing in all proba biIity to the
extremely bad weather and the al
most impossible condition Of the coun-
try roads. Many farmers of the sur
rounding country, however, showed
their interest and thirst for knowledge
On this subject by walking miles and
miles across the snow and slush-cOver-
ed fields that they might be present.
Of the 600 for whom preparations had
been made there were only about 100
present at the morning session and 200
In the afternoon, but the lack in num-
bers in the audience was more than
offset by the enthusiasm manifested.
Supt. Q. c. Gregg, of the state farm
Frs institute, presided at the meeting,
and in brief opening address gave an
outline Of the work of the day. He
said that this was the first meeting
Of the institute in which it had de-
voted its entire time to any one par
ticuIaT branch of the farming indus
try, but thought that the benefits to be
derived by the farmers through a COM
pIete knowledge Of sheep husbandry
more than warranted the transgression
Of the regular order. He said the best
men in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin
In the line of sheep raising were pres
ent at the meeting, among them being
Henry Wallace, editor and proprietor Of
Wallace Farm Journal, Of Iowa; Prof.
George Craig, Of the Wisconsin State
Agricultural school and Prof Thomas
Shaw, Of the Minnesota state expert
mental station, and concluded by intro
ducing Prof Shaw to the audience.
Prof. Shaw expressed his regret that
the attendance had been so limited by
the weather, and impressed upon the
farmers present that they must be the
bearers Of what ever knowledge they
acquired to their less fortunate neigh
boris. He then spoke as follows on the
Extension of Sheep Husbandry in Min
nesota."
This meeting is called in the first place TO
draw the attention of the public and more
especially. of our farmers, to the advantages
that would accrue to the state by engaging
more extensively in the fattening Of sheep.
1t is designed in the second place, TO call
nm 1v1oT ada vetahi Of
Mir HtsOta to the growing and fattening Of
sheep. 1t is intended in the third place. to
be tfSe medium of disseminating information
with reference to the growing and fattening
Of sheep that may be safely followed in the
same. And in tie fourth place, it is called
in the hope of riPstnig public attention on the
collateral and indirect advantages to the
farmer that grow out Of sheep husbandry.
Sheep have been grown to the west Of Us
for long years past on the ranges. They
will be grown on the same as long as grass
grows on the undulating surfaces that COM
pose them, and as long as the friendly Chi
hooks hurry over them in winter TO melt
the SHOWS that hide the pastures from the
fOcks. On these they are grown IN millions
and millions. On these they will be grown
in increasing millions, for where the pastur-
age is free as the waters that rush onward
in the mountain streams that flow through
them, in the battle for possession, sheep will
drive cattle to the wall. Those sheep have
crossed our state in trainlOads in the past,
and they will state in trainlOadS
in the future on the way to market OF to the
feeding yards in other states. And during
all those years, il never seems to have Oc-
CURED TO US that We might have made good
money in fattening those sheep in transit on
our farms How sad the refrain We might
have made''' We have allowed the stock
yards and the farmers Of other states to do
all this fattening. far as IL has been done.
mad to reap all the profits. A river Of oppor-
tunity has thus been running right past our
door and We have never thought Of utiliz-
ing its waters. We have been SmaTting IN
der the lash Of low prices, and We have not
pr0fted by the chance that we might have
improved by feeding those sheep, a business,
which. if judiCiOusly conducted. would have
Increased the value of our coarse grains and
folders by at least so per cent.
Those range sheep can never be properly
fattened on the ranges, although they can be
grown there very cheapy But they can be
fattenei in fine form upon our farms. as will
be amply shown at this meeting. They can