Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-01-28


address he gave recently at the annual
meeting in Rochester, n. Y, of the
Standard American Merino association,
of which Mr.. Ray is secretary. Mr..
Ray complied with the request The
address was full of practical suggestions
and will be printed in these columns
next week.
There being no further business, the
meeting adjourned.
President Abells remarks at the open
ing of the meeting were as follows:
PRESIDENT ABELL's ADDRESS.
Gentlemen Of the Assoc,dtion;-I have been
asked to say II few words at this meeting. |
do not know that can say anything that will
interest you, for ii seems TO me that whatever
| may tell you has been told before by those
far more capable of doing so than am. But
/ will be very brief, and that, ] think, VIII
please you.
At our last annual meeting all of the mem
bers seemed to be pleased on account of the
brighter prospects before their. You had
been passing through the most depressing
times you had ever experienced. The wilson
tariff law had almost given death blow TO
your favorte industry. large number OF
the members of this association had given up
in utter despair. Others, more hopetul,
thinking tnat the ROOu SellS6 Vi lH6 AulcllOtih
people would again assert Itself, held their
focks awaiting the dawn of brighter days.
president and congress favoring the pro
lection of wool had been elected, and you had
ample reason to anticipate that your cher
ished hopes might end in fruition
year has passed, and to-day we again
meet with those hopes realized. The advo-
Gates of free wool resisted the new tariff bill
with spirit that would have been commend
able had the cause been just. They delayed
its passage for weeks when 1t should have
been a law and in full force. In the meantime
millions of pounds of free wool were landed
at our ports, the government losing millions
of revenue and our business pushed farther
into the future. Let us hope that we shall
never again experience such years OF depres-
sion to our chosen industry.
The Vermont Meriuo sheep Breeders asso-
citation is not, in reality, wool growers
association. Its several members have for
many years raised thoroughbred sheep to be
sold to wool growers in all parts of the world
to improve their flocks. That the members
of this association have raised and are at the
present time raising the best Spanish Merino
sheep in the world is attested by the awards
given them at almost every national and in
ternational exhibition where they have come
into competition.
have been asked many times, "What is the
necessity of having sheep registered:" It is
a well established principle that a thorough
bred crossed on native stock begets pro
geny that is much better than TN 1t from sire
that is not a thoroughbred and so, if person
wishes to improve his stock, whether it is
thOI oughbred or otherwise, he gets Il thor.
oughbred 10 accomplish this purpose.
1t has been said that years ago some men
took sheep from this state to distant parts of
the country ana sold them for thoroughbred,
or "full-bloOds," when they were not, nj.
though to all appearances possessing consid-
cradle merit. But those who wished to pur-
chase thOroughbreds were Often deceived,
and many OF them were obliged to come here
to get the stock they wanted. To prevent de
ception, our association was formed. so now,
if n man takes sheep from here to Australia,
where Il ey are very particular rs to what
they buy when they wish to purchase good
ones, they ask if they are thoroughbred. Now
the seller can say that such n sheep was bred
by such man; the name and number is in
the sleeps ear The sheep is registered in
the Vermont Sheep Breeders Register; that
it IS a Spanish Merino sheep; that its ances.
tors were traced by three skillful men and
were found to be thoroughbred, from i'm
ported stock, and from the imperial fiocks of
! Spain, which have been purely bred since the
time when Caesar ruled that country about
I 2OO0 years ago; and if the Australian is not
then satisfied with the pedigree, he must
| trace it farther, or come to me and will tell
him that my ancestor whom his brother slew
started the flock near the garden of Eden.
Gentlemen, as have before intimated, all
signs indicate the advent of more prosperous
times In our meeting to day let us give no
tice that we are still doing business at the old
stand. Let US continue to do that on the
square, that our past reputation may not only
be preserved, but very materially advanced
/ read lately letter written by awool grower
in Australia who said that there are quite q
number of sheep about to be shipped there
from Vermont. He seemed TO to be quite
| elatpd over the fact and WAS very anxious tC