The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-20

ton to each inhabitant of our state, allowing
each sheep to dress 80 pounds. To state it
differently We had only one sheep to every
$50 acres of the land surface of our state.
Not enough Of sheep in all Minnesota to pro
vide meat for our people for half a month.
Not a sufficient number of sheep in ali the
state TO nip off one-tenth Of the beautiful
blossoms Of wild flowers in the state TO turn
them into mutton. Tell il not in Iowa Wis
consIn and Illinois, lest the people Of those
states point the finger at US for our short
s1ghtedness. Well, We have this to comfort
US: Minnesota has called the first sheep rally
ever held in the West May it be the fore
runner of a long line Of successors until the
tree Of sheep husbandry in our state, like
that OF our university farm school, shall at
tract admiring eyes from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, because Of the greatness, the beauty
and the symmetry Of its proportions.
In introducing Henry Wallace, Of
Iowa, to the audience, Superintendent
Gregg cOmplimented that gentleman
III most charming manner. He said
that the state of Iowa had given her
sister state. Minnesota most valuable
information in all lines of farming.
Iowa was also the home Of some of
the most noted authorities in the coun-
try about things agricultural among
them Prof. Budd; the present secre-
tary of agriculture James Wilson, and
Henry Wallace.
Mr.. Wallace said that this was his
first appearance before a Minnesota
audience, but hoped that closer rela-
lions might be established in the near
future. He liked the pushing qualities
OF the people, and he was sure that the
work of the Minnesota Farmers in
stltute was far ahead Of that being
done by the Iowa institute He then
branched into the subject before the
meeting as follows: What I am go
ms to say to you may not seem exactly
talk on the raising Of sheep, but Il
is nevertheless in direct line with that
industry. l want to impress some
things on your mind. In nv opinion
Minnesota and Iowa form the Mecca
Of the new world, but they are at a
great disadvantage from the fact that
they are located at such a great dis
tanee from the markets where their
products are sold. We grow wheat in
Minnesota and IN in Iowa that must
be shipped 5000 miles TO find market.
The time has come when there must
be change in the order Of things In
justice TO ourselves we cannot longer
be the slaves of the foreign markets
We must have home markets and by
this do not mean that we must ship
to the chief cities in the states. or to
Chicago, but a home market on the
farm. I mean in plain words that
stock that they might consume the
products Of the farm and then when we
have 1O-cent corn and Decent oats
and Accent wheat, we can feed it and
VIII not be compelled to sell our pro-
duets at such prices. If the farmers
cannot own this stock, then they must
make arrangements for the time being
to feed to stock in transit And right
here is where my talk begins to swing
around to sheep, for there are millions
Of sheep that are bred on the ranges of
Montana and are shipped through this
state every year to the Eastern markets
in lean condition. Some people are
already feeding these sheep in transit.
and the advantages that are offered
are almost unlimited. We must learn
not TO sell our raw material. but to
keep it until it is in finished condition
In this way we can beat any trust in
the world, for we sell our raw material
to the buyer right in our own barn
yards, and then sell the buyers: in other
words, feed our products to stock and
then sell the stock The only road to
true happiness. and TO fame and for
tune for the farmer, is for him to learn
to transform the crude products of his
farm into the finished material
At the close of Mr.. Wallace's address
an adjournment of two hours was
taken.
At the afternoon session the audience
was augmented by the members of
the senior class of the Carver school.
who were given a half holiday that
they might attend the meeting, and
many more people from the country
who were unable to get into town in
time for the morning session.
One Of Prof. Shaw's assistants at the
experimental station, c. P. Taylor.
opened the session with the giving of
a statement Of the profits made in the
experiments in sheep raising and feed
ing in transit at the state school 1t
was as follows:
Montana wethers per head .......-.....S0. 81
Montana lambs, per head ................ I 81
Home grown lambs, per head ............ 3. 90
The last figures, he said were
phenomenal and it must not be expect
ed that they could be duplicated as a
regular thing
Craig, of the Wisconsin Experimental
school, who gave a detailed account
of the methods employed by him in
the raising of sheep in Wisconsin.
At the close of Prof Craig's address,
f.. J. BOynton. president Of the Mime
sofa Sheep Breeders association. gave
a brief outline Of his success in the
raising Of high grade sheep He was
followed by short talks from Mr.. Wal
lace and E G. Jeffray, of New Brigh-
ton. in which the audience was inform
ed as to the methods to be employed in
the feeding Of Montana sheep on their
way to the Eastern markets and from
what sections the best grades of sheep
came.
The session was closed with a short
imprOmptu programme of songs and
Rotations, which were given by Prof
Smith and the senior class Of the Car