The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-13
saErr hArsrNa Rooms AalrM
the Farmers OF the Geneses valley Bless.
ing the Dingley Law.

RocHEsTER.N MY. Nov. 1.-THE countenances
OF many farmers in western New York are
! beamlng with smiles on account Of returning
prosperity In one OF the nos tremunerative and
fascinating branchesof their calling.
The counties OF Genesee, Orleans. Monroe.
Livingston. Ontario. and Wayne. consisting
largely OF the lands OF the far-famed Gonosee
Valley and the smaller valleys OF the tribu-
taries Of the Genesee river. contain not only
the choicest farming lands Of the Empire State.
but comprise one OF the richest and most pro-
ductive Agricultural districts OF the whole
country. The farms OF this district are gener-
ally quite large. ranging from one hundred to
several hundred acres each. and are In most
cases either occupied by the owners them
selves or under their personal supervision. Il
has always been the aim Of these proprietors to
not only realize a liberal income from their
broad acres. but to so rotate their crops as to
exhaust the soil as little as possible, and to
keep sufficient live stock to consume all the
coarse products on the premises.
Prior to the opening up OF the great West
how to do this was n problem easily solved.
Wheat and cattle both brought highly re-
munerative prices. and there was always n
ready market for them. In rotation they raised
extensive fields Of wheat, clover. corn and
oats. The wheat and oats were marketed and
the corn and clover fed to cattle. the farmers In
each case realizing a handsome profit. Then
the cattle kings" Of the West and Southwest
came forward with their great herds. and prices
fell so low that the farmers OF this section
could not compete even in the Eastern markets.
Cattle no longer being profitable. in the mid
die seventies they turned their attention to
sheep and had soon built up an industry OF IT.
self. that Of fattening sheep scientifically and
thus producing mutton OF q superior quality
for the eastern markets and the English export
trade. 1t was soon learned that to obtain sue
cess In this line two things were absolutely
essential-the sheep must have warm quarters
and must be fed with regularity. Under their
great grain barns they built warm. commodious
easements. To these from springs they piped
pure water. which they distributed In
troughs where the animals might quench
their thirst at will. Having thus pre-
pared places. they looked about for the
class OF sheep best suited for the purpose and
found them in the States Of Michigan and
Ohio. Under a wise tariff law which protected
the wool industry. the farmers of these States
had found 1t profitable to keep large tiocks.
After shearing time each year men made a
business OF selecting from these locks two and
three year old wethers. the class Of sheep best
suited for the purpose. and shipping them to
Buffalo during the early fall months. where
they were eagerly sought after by the western
New York farmers.
Buffalo became the greatest sheep and lamb
market in the country, and each winter would
find thousands OF these animals in fiocks vary
ing from one to several carloads each scattered
over the large farms OF this section. The dura-
ton OF the feeding ~period-usually beginning
in October or November-varied from two to
five months. The animals were fed twice
a day-in the morning shelled corn and coarse
fodder like cornstalks and coarse hay. about
the middle of the afternoon corn again and
fine clover hay. By this system Of feeding the
n markaS,y Fe sSnrt t = sn'en Hs soon SSmdi non INN IN a re- re
become what was, called prime they Were
shirred to New York 3Sa to be sod either to5 home
always brought the top prices of the market.
The profits were large. as the farmers at mar
80 a head above the price paid in the fall; from
~ to so per cent. OF which was clean profit.
porous. and many made fortunes.
lapdism: and the Wilson 5iiiii with its tTee.SooI
growers Of Mi Michis "a and ohio ioe IN com moe WITH wifh
those Of other States, could nc, longer AFFORD to
The western New York farmers could no longer
and even had they Been able to. Rr iiees0RRS had
81 oFS al the ahe pr iod$asssI hS Tfi i. rH,ne d s mss p : Iss
tney produced. Their farms had deprecated
one-half In value. and the men that a few years
before had been so prosperous were driven to
despair. when the present Administration and
the Dingley law came to their aid.
And now once more their places have the ap-
pearance, OF prosperity and large focks of
sheep and lambs NAV be seen scattered over
them, They have not as. yet been able to OBJ
tain sheep OF the same class and age as for
merly. for there are none in the country. but
instead have substituted lambs which iii the
requirements in nearly all respects equally
as we'll. Many have turned their attention
to keeping breeding ewes, and are raising
crossing fine grades with pure Shropshires,
Cottswolds or Southdowns they have been able
to obtain lam BIS that as yearlings are nearly as
large as the class OF sheep they formerly used
were Mt two and three years of age. in a fdition
to producing a very superior quality OF mutton.
To oil the shortage they still depend upon the
Buffalo market.
The demand for both prime feeding lambs
and breeding ewes 10 far in excess of the sup
ply. and prices in the past two years have
more than doubled. In many cases trehled. As
other farm products are also bringing higher
PRICES once more. the farms OF the Genesee
Valley are fast regainine their former values, |
and the farmers feel confident that a new era
q prosperity and happiness Is before them.
They sincerely trust that the present tariff Jaw.
or one equally Just to them. may be allowed to
continue for years to come.