The Globe-republican., 1897-03-18
The Sheep Industry d iowa.


Prof. James Wilson of tho Iowa Agri-
cultural College, says:
The sheep industry Of tie United
States along mutton lines, h one OF
growing importance. The Department
Of Agriculture at Washington reports
50, 29S, 7S3 head in January 1896, valued
at $65. 167, 735. The United States e1-
ported 4O5. 748 sheep in. 1895. valued
at $3.50, CSC. and during the same year
imported 291. 461 head, valued at $685.
61S. Analysis Of these movements viii
show that we send fat sheep to Europe
and import principally lambs from
Canada and breeding sheep from Eng
land. The sheep industry Of the Unit
ed States has gone through periods of
prosperity and depression. Federal
laws.at one time favored the fine wool
breeds; the modification and final re-
peal of those statutes made it evident
that more attention must be given to
the mutton feature and that wool
should only be incidental. The exports
of sheep in 1891 were S.947: in 1892.
1880; in 1893. 1890; in 1894, 1872
$40, and in 1895, 405, 74s. total value
Of $4,5O7 .057, showing that the Ameri-
can farmers are rapidly turning their
attention to production for export. The
imports for the same time amounted
to $5.S13.512. showing that we have
imported more sheep in the past i've
years than we have exported; $780,
723 of this was for breeding sheep from
the United Kingdom. The total num-
Der of sheep in the state of Iowa in
January, 1896, as given in the year
book of the Department of Agricul-
ture at Washington was 565, 1877, valued
at 1882 79. The state census for
1895 reports the total number at 1922
1915, valued at $1,160.5 35. The latter
authority reports the value of sheep
sold for slaughter in 1894 at SAFE. 1856
and the value of feeces at $3SO.S75.
The state census shows that Iowa
farmers are giving attention to the
improved breeds, reporting 4S.730 Me-
rinos; 1852 Cotswolds, 1863 Leices-
tiers, 1854 Suffolks, 100000 Shropshire
Downs, S,4S6 Oxford Downs, 1928
South-Downs, and 1929 Hampshire
Downs. These numbers are. perhaps.
not all eligible to registry. The CEN
sus takers have. doubtless, included
some grades of different breeds. but
the report indicates the extent to
which improved blood is being used
in the state. It is sometimes said that
Iowa lands are too valuable to be de-
voted to sheep raising; but the high
priced lands of Great Britain sustain
$50 sheep per 1000 acres of agricultur-
al lands, and Scotland in 1888 had even
as high as 1880 sheep per 1000 acres.
according to Professor John Wright
son of London. Iowa has at the pres
ent time. according to state statistics.
not more than twenty-five sheep per
thousand acres of agricultural lands.
The county of Lincolnshire, England.
has over twice as many sheep as the en-
tire state of Iowa. 1t is we'll known that
the skill of the breeder has done much
toward improving the sheep; early ma
turity has been brought about with
some breeds, together with increased
amounts of weight on the high selling
parts, and wool that sells for compare
lively high prices. 1t is also generally
known that the best mutton breeds are
profitably handled on the richest lands
of Europe; suggesting to us that the
state of Iowa with it's rich grasses and
cheap grains may become the home OF
the best breeds of mutton sheep. that
can profitably rival other domestic ami.
mails in farm economy.