The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-08-29
LOSE MILLION DOLLARS YEAR COTTON Law is SATISFACTORY
ON THE SHEEP AND GOATS THEY
DON'T RAISE.
John F. EasIey Dreams of Great Pros
perity In Carter County, Through
Mutton and Wool.

Oklahoma has a limited number of
sheep and goats. 1t is much of a
mystery why there are so few of these
profitable domestic animals in this
state, even in the face of reduction
of tariff on wool. Sheep and goats
are valuable for the clearing of farms,
and the meat is being produced at a
profit in New Mexico, our western
neighbor, where conditions are not I'M
like those Of Oklahoma.
One editor has computed that his
home county loses $1,O00,000 each
twelve months by neglect of the
sheep and goat industry. Carter coun-
ty is the one referred to, and John F.
Easley, editor of the Daily Ardmoreite,
is urging the land owners of Carter
county to enlist the aid of these nimble
little fellows that are capable of con-
verting rough pastures into fertile
farms. If Carter county is losing this
stupendous sum each year, then other
counties are experiencing enormous
losses. Editor Easley comments per-
tinently as follows on the subject:
zone million dollars is going to
waste in Carter county every year.
This is an astounding statement, but
it is true. 1t is going to waste because
we have the resources here to earn
! that amount and are not taking ad-
vantage of the situation.
There are many acres of land in
the county covered with post oak
grubs; these sprouts keep down the
growth of grass; their presence makes
the land difficult to be put into state
Of cultivation; they are counted as
luisances, when these very sprouts
can be made to earn the million every
year. Coupled with the post oak
sprouts are the rag weeds and iron
weeds that farmers despise. These
weeds can be turned into money.
1.-THE goat and the sheep thrive upon
these leaves and twigs Of the under
growth, and they thrive upon the rag
weed and the iron weed Mohair and
wool sell readily upon the market, and
the kid and the mutton are sought
after in the fresh meat markets. In
fact the kid. when 1t reaches the mar
ket, is known as mutton. The people
A,,x 60 To nn,,oIlxy q
good, and in fact preferred by many
as table diet to the mutton. The
| crop of wool can be sold for the other
half.
"There is another advantage. These
animals keep down the weeds and the
brush underground, and give the grass
a chance to grow. The grub prairie
can be transformed into a prairie OF
grass that will support the cattle and
the horses. Farmers have demon
strated that the pastures ruined by q
growth of weeds can be reclaimed by
the pasturing of sheep and goats
While the pasture is being reclaimed
the profits of the farmer keep going on.
when we learn to husband the
agricultural and stock raising re
sources of the county we will forget
the oil fields and the asphalt deposits
for the reason that we will have some
thing better The oil fields make
some rich and others poor; the same
may be said of asphalt. But agricul
sure is as certain as wheat in the bin
There is a dearth of sheep and goats
in the county, and the resources are
buried for the time. The agriculture
teacher can do the county much good
along this line Of endeayor."