The sun., 1900-10-07

elilhil and lonn-continued breeding III was
built IN with careful selections from the hum
phreys importation, and afterw%d mah'aiheo
and improved by selection Of indiylduas WIN
in the flock In isiO the form was Spaihsh
slightly modified, wool short. 1ne. wen cr''hPeu'
shorter on the belly, not yet fully GOVERNS ,eES
and head Some Of the rams had pehuuious
dewlaps and neck folds or wrinkles AS the
Spanish mcrino came into especial iaVor uls
Aock became popular, and colonies were scat
tered through the country. especially In New
York. somc deteriorating, others continuing
to improve This was Il notable beginning
worthy Of all praise, but not yet was the Ameri-
can merino thoroughly established M new
breed OF the merno typo
Though many breeders worked together
in the improvement which has developed tho
most notable and valuable breed OF the world
Edwin Hammond Of Middlebury, W, Ia fairly
entitled 10 be considered the founder OF the
American mcrino breed. He pade three
purchases between lsi4 and lS'0 oi average
selections from the different qualities of tho
Atwood flock first breeding in three lines OF
sub-fameS. the dark. the light and inter-
mediate. aftcrward producing his hest sheep
by crossing these lines with skin and Judg-
ment which entitle him 10 rank with Bakewen
in tho long-wool Improvement In England
lie changed the thin, lght-boned. imperfectly
covered sheep into models Of fine wool beauty
large, round. low and strengthened. The
ewes weighed, as reported in 1893, from ITO
10 llo pounds. the heaviest fleece weighing
l7ti pounds The ram Sweepstakes, 1885,
sometime referred 20 as tho origin OF the
American merino az a breed distinct from
the old Spanish. had q weight record OF 10
pounds and "a fleece Of 27 pounds
Mr.. Dodge has noticed In the history OF our
sheep breeding an eyer-existing tendency
to change The nocks OF one period have
percertbly differed from those OF ten years
later To meet the requirements OF manu-
facturers of various kinds and qualities OF
woods, foreign breeds have boon successfully
introduced At the present time the tendency
Of breeding is toward an increase Of merinos.
For al least thirty years. Mr.. Dodge says
there has been tendency. strengthened by
the steady and rapid increase Of population
demanding meat, toward increase Of coarse
wool sheep and enlargement Of mutton pro
ductiop Even earlier than this a greater
need Of worted woods was felt and the inita-
tive was taken toward their supply. Mr..
Dodge early as 1862 urged that the Ameri-
can farmers should seek profit in mutton
and wool rathe: than in wool alone. The
present distribution Of mutton sheep Is more
general than ever before. They have invaded
tho pastures so long sacred to the develop
ment Of the American merino. They have
nearly driven out the fine wool competition
in Indiana and Illinois and have taken pos
session Of sheep pasturage on the meat-pro-
ducng prairies Of the Missouri Valley.
Mr Dodge says that for strength and dura-
bity American woods are unsurpassed and
make more durable clothing than the average
product Of any other nation. American sheep
have been appreciated abroad and at the Lon
don Worlds Exhibition four prize medals were
given TO American sheep. At the Hamburg
Exhibition in 1893 two hrst-cass premiums
we're awarded 20 merlnos from Vermont, which
we're in competition with representatives Of
the finest ,ocks In Europe. An enumeration
OF sheep was made In lslO, when II was found
that there were lo,SliOOO. There was little
increase In twenty years. but between 1880
and 1870 there was jump 70 about 42Ooo'o0O.
followed later by decline TO 100000. There
were periods Of prosperity and adversely, one
Of the worst times being from 1899 to 1871, when
the sale by tho Quartermaster-General OF an
enormous amount OF military clothing broke
a market already weak The tariff Of 1857
came too late 20 save the industry AS early
as 1895 the imports Of manufactured woods,
more than double the requirements OF demand.
began 10 glut the market Prices were falling
throughout the world. However. the enact
nent OF 1857 opened the way to q now era OF
prosperity for wool growing after the glut OF
goods had been absorbed. In 1888 there was
a slight change in the tariff and In years follow
ing. revenue decisions liberal 10 importers,
tended to discourage wool growers and re-
duoe the focks The number OF sheep In this
country was reduced 100000 In five years.
1t was an expectation Of tariff revision that
prevented further destruction Of hocks.
new era OF prosperity commenced In 1890
In four years the number OF sheep increased
70 47s5i,OOO. or II per cent from 1850 and the
farm value advanced In January. 1898, to g. 90
the highest value for eighteen years since 1875.
In 1894 was enacted n law making wool abso-
utely free, as well as all forms Of shoddy and
materials used in aduteraton The effect
was instantaneous Prices Of wool and Of sheep
declined, resulting in destruction Of hocks and
Indifference and neglect in their care.
The law Of 1897 followed. restoring customs
duties on wool The effect Of this act has been
10 restore confidence in the future Of wool
growing and a largo degree Of prosperity,
though the enormous accumulation OF foreign
wool has retarded manufacture and sale until
quite recently For two years the mill stocks
and wool markets were weighted down with
foreign wool. Estimates OF ths trade authoVl-
ties made the supply in January, 1900, $50 600, 900
pounds less than in the preceding January
Consumption has been unprecedented and
manufacture extremely active. The value OF
sheep Ia nearly doubled The Department esti-
mate Of average value in January, 1895, was
81 5s a head. and last January, 50 e3
The effect Of the law Of 1894 on manufacturers
was scarcely less injurious than upon wool
growers They were not subjected 10 free
goods but were exposed to a competition
under n reduced rate Of duty, which they could
not Withstand flooding the country, stopping
sales, first eShaustins profits. then reducing
wages and finally shutting down mills.
The 1ocks Of the United States to-day do
not aggregate so large number Of sheep as
in 1898 or In 1884 but they are increasing rapidly.
and bid fair TO exceed before many seasons
the highest former figures. They include
a greater variety than az any former period
II manufacturers desire a selection from all
the woods in the world they can get all varieties
of much value without going out of the country
That this is no idle boast can readily be proved
in our principal wool markets. The general
feeling at the present time a. to the condition
and prospects Of sheep hushandry Ia one of
.,,t a 81 nd of