The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-01-21
SHEEP ON A FARM.
Their Value Discussed BY J. A. Miller at
the Farmers Institute.

prepare any writing for a farmers H.
stitute, and particularly on ''the VAL
ne of sheep on the farm" but | am
not in the least surprised. In facUI
am surprised that / have not been
called on sooner. 1t has been the
custom in this house for lawyers when
they bad an important case on hands
to choose their jury men with reference
TO their extreme ignorance of the case
at bar, and l knew the farmers would
drift into the same0habit if they con-
tinued to hold their meetings here.
When l made up my mind to write
something for this meeting | natural
ly commenced looking round for some
pointers to help me out, and took
down a file of my favorite farm jour-
nal and began a study of the sheep
column. After reading this column
fora time | made up my mind that if
the writers were telling anywhere
near the truth, that all that was nee
essary, was for a farmer TO obtain a
couple of bred ewes, a shepherd dog
and a can of Cooper'S sheep dip and
he would be able t start a national
bank in a very few years.
1t is we'll for the beginner to believe
in the start that sheep husbandry is
no '.get rich quick" concern. rather
irregular paving industry. The worst
feature connected with the business
is the extreme radicaliSm that controls
the opinion of the farmer on the pros
pect OF making money out of sheep.
With sheep as in many other things
the farmer is like a balky horse Eth
er back against the wheel, or at the
point Of the tongue all the time. 1t
seems to be impossible to have a con-
sentative view Of the sheep question
at all. II prices go down they will
work over time to dispose of every
head of sheep they have, and in this
way they contribute to the general
stampede, After waiting few years,
or until prices are at the very highest
point. they are on the market to stock
upagain with high priced sheep, often
at three times the price at which they
sold their former stock.
1t might be well now to note the
number Of sheep ordinarily kept in the
United States per capita. In 1880
there were about 7S.4 sheep for zach
100 Inhabitants, in 1884 there we're
SO, in 1889 there were 1913 In 1900,
56.2 and from advance reports for 1903
the estimate will be e "a 70.1 per
each 100 inhabitants. In this esti-
mate no account is taken of any part
not within the United States and ter
ritories in the first instance. The
average price of sheep in 1880 was
1921 per head, the average price in
1890 was 1927 and at the first Of Jan.
1908 the price was 1898 per head.
Advance reports indicate lower price
for Jan. 'O4.
There has been much less variation
ia the whole number of sheep in the
country in the time noted than many
imagine, and when we take into con-
sideration the improvement in the
grade OF sheep, the price has not shown
any material increase, and in fact very
little fluctuation. Ii those statistics
teach any thing it is that the only way
to make sheep pay on the farm is tC
stick to the business regardless of 10.
cal conditions and local prices, for il
seems to be a fact that the same prices
will return SOOn again in spite Of any
stimulating or depressing Influence.
Sheep husbandry presents to my
mind three propositions, First where
the farmer keeps sheep. Second,
where the sheep keep the farmer and
third where the farmer and the sheer
enter into a kind OF mutual admira
ton society, and each is working fol
the comfort, benefit and enjoyment
of the other. But / think / heal
some one say 81 don't want to go int
partnership with a sheep" Well nov
l can't see why you should object il
the sheep don't
The first thing to be done is to OBJ
tam a good shepherd, and If you hav,
not the necessary qualifications, th,
best thing you can do is stop the dea
and engage in some other calling
Every man is not constituted to be
shepherd any more than every mar
can keep a hotel. Shepherds are borr
not trained. He must be in love with
the business. / would much rather
have a man who never had an hour
training for a shepherd If he loved tn,
business than the graduate of the besI
agricultural college In the world If b.
hated the work. II be were ignoran1
and loved his sheen. he would hun,