The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-31
LAMB GROWN AT THE STATE
FARM SERVED AT COM
MERCIAL CLUB.
ENJOYED BY SMALL PARTY.
COOKED IN VARIOUS WAYS AND
PRONOUNCED MOST EXCEL
LENT EATING.
About the Advantages and OpDor-
tunities for Sheep Raising In
This State.

A lamb grown at the Minnesota state
farm was recently presented to the
Commercial club. of this city, by the
Hon. w. M. Liggett, director of the sta
ton. This lamb was grown on the
state farm in the department presided
over by Prof. Shaw. The lamb weighed
140 pounds, though less than one year
old 1t dressed seventy-five pounds,
which is very large percentage 1t
/ was one of sixteen lambs grown on one
acre of pasturage through the whole
of the summer, and was fattened, not
to produce weight, but to make good
quality of mutton The lamb was
served at noon yesterday at the res
taurant of the club. The following
| gentlemen were present: Jesse Gregg,
president of the club; G. p Slime, the
secretary; Hon. W. M. Liggett, o. c.
Gregg, superintendent of the farmers
institute; John Cooper, st. Cloud; r.
j. Randall, secretary of the state ag-
r1cultural society; M. E. Prouty, Mr..
Lee, of Todd county; c. D. Gilhllan,
Morgan, and Prof Shaw.
The lamb was cooked in various ways
and served in a style at once credit
able to those in charge of the culinary
| department. The meat was tender.
! juicy and exceedingly palatable, and
high compliments were paid to it's ex-
| cellence by the guests. At the close
| Of the luncheon, Mr.. Gregg, the presi-
| dent called on various gentlemen for
an expression Of their views with re-
gard to the mutton industry
Hon. w. M. Liggett said the object
the state had in view in growing these
lambs was to show, first, that mutton
could be grown at good profit; and,
second, that it could also be grown
of excellent quality. He made refer
ence to the spirit shown by E. M.
Prouty and w. E. Mccormick in pay
ing good prices for good meat to be
| sent to the home market. The day
was rapidly going by when Chicago
! could claim that all the good meat
! grown in the West was sent to that
| market.
Hon. G. D. Gilfillan made some point
! ed statements with reference TO the
| wholesome character of the Minnesota
! climate for producing meat and also
| with reference to the wonderful ability
OF our soil to produce the right kinds
j Of feed. He did not think that we could
| grow mutton Of quite so high a char
! acter as England, but we could grow
| excellent mutton, as had just been DEM
onstrated. But our people We're as yet
! giving too little attention to growing
meat of any kind. In his judgment,
/ two pounds of mutton could be grown
/ at cost not exceeding that required to
| produce one pound of beef
| Prof. Shaw described how the Ia nh
! mad been grown, also how it had been
| fed during the summer and winter. In
answer to question as to the cost. he
] said 1t would be impossible to tell ex-
| aclly about the cost during the summer
] season, for the work during that period
! was wholly experimental in character,
and, therefore, movable fences and so
| on had to be used, which would not be
necessary in the practice of the far
| mer. During the fattening period
the profit made was about $500
| This profit was unusually large 1t
rose, in part, from the low prices paid
for foods, the high price received for
| the meat and the excellent gains made
! by the lambs during the fattening pc
| Rod. This gain was eleven pounds per
! month. The lambs thus fattened
! average very nearly $3.50 each when
sold. Small lambs brought from Mon
tana, which weighed only forty five
| pounds per head in the autumn, had
| been sold to Messrs. Prouty and Nc
! CCrmick at $4.S7 per hundred The net
| profit from feeding these was 81. 81 each
| He did not agree exactly with the state
ment of Mr.. Gilfllan regarding English
mutton. In his judgment, we can grow
| it as good as that produced in England.
md we ought to do it,
| Mr.. Gregg said that although he was
known as a cow man in the state of
| Minnesota, he was almost converted
to the sheep Industry, and he serious
| ly contemplated going into the fatten-
| ing of sheep and ultimately to the
| growing of the same upon his farm.
| John Cooper, of St. Cloud said that
| the people of this country require to be
| educated as to the character of good
| meat He referred to the consumers.
They had not yet learned to distinguish
| between fat. useful and wholesome
| and talloW and lard. Lean meat could
| not be first-class unless taken from
carcass possessed Of q good deal Of
| fat.
Mr.. Lee complimented very highly
| the work done by the school of agri-
| culture. He said the farmers clune to
| the opinion that the animals grown
| and fattened at the experimental farm
were thus produced without regard to
| cost of production. A delegation had
recently visited the farm from his
| county, and those Of them whom he
surprise that such good work was be-
ing done at a profit
Mr.. Prouty was eloquent IN his
eulogy of the work that was being done
by Col. Liggett and Prof Shaw He
said the state was not approaching
that work as it should but in due time
those gentlemen would reap their re-
ward, as the fruits of their labor would
be perceptible to very many who do
not yet understand it's value.
Mr.. Randall referred to his expert
ence in former years in growing sheep.
He was satisfied that the great mis-
take in the farming of Minnesota to-
day was not giving a due attention
to the production of live stock Evil
IDENTIFY day of prosperity was at hand.
OF this the indications in the greatly
increased prices of meat furnished u.1-
mistakable evidences. May the good
work go on and increase more and
more. The whole affair was an exceed
ingly pleasant one, and was thorough
ly enjoyed by every one present.
Notice to DepOsftors.