Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-01-24
SHEEP BREEDERS MEET.
{. N. Bissell of Shoreham Re-
elected President.

airy 8, 1913.
The meeting was called to order at
10 a. m. by the president f. N.
Bissel, who has spent life time in the
improvement of the Merino sheep. He
set forth the advantages of caring for
the Merinos under adverse times as
well as in the prosperous periods.
In order to reach the desired goal the
following rules should be strictly adj
hered to:
1. Purity of blood.
| 2. Careful selection of stock rams, in
order to maintain and improve the high
standard of the flock.
3. Care for your flock well and get
it before the public.
To do this show at as many county
and state fairs as possible where OPP
portunity is offered to confer with other
breeders.
Reading of secretary's report.
Motion before the house land carried
unanimously that we recommend the
Executive Board to place the fee for
recording lambs at Is cents, and the
fee for transferring sheep at % cents.
The President called a meeting of the
Executive Board and they unanimously
adopted the foregoing recommended
tions.
The secretary is placed upon salary
of $1,000 a year.
Motion that each member be assessed
pro rata for space occupied in new
volume.
Adjourned for dinner.
One o'clock p. m.
Election of officers: President, E. N.
Bissell, East Shoreham, VT; vice presi-
dent, George B. Quinn, RoXbury, o.;
second vice president, Charles H. Bell,
Ashley, O.. secretary treasurer, Wesley
Bishop, Delaware, O.
Committee on pedigrees, C. A. Chap
man, Ferrisburg, VT; David K Bell,
Rochester, N. Y; W. G. Faucet
Chesterhill, O.
Sub committee from Vermont state,
F. P. Gorham, West Rutland, VT; E.
B. Collins, North Ferrisburg, VT. j. c.
S. Hamilton, Bridport, VT; w. C.
Sturtevant, Weybridge, VT; j. @.
Stickney, Whiting, VT. C. M. Remele,
Ira l.. Hamilin and E. f. Wisell, Mid
dlebury, Vt.
The following paper from l.. A.
Webster, former resident Of Whiting,
VT, was read before the association and
will be read with much interest by his
many friends in this locality:
Mr.. President and Fellow Sheep
Breeders:
shepherds of Ohio, and | consider
of this association S annual meeting.
Ever since the consolidation we have
been presenting papers on Type, The
Shepherd and His Flock, and various
other subjects pertaining to Merino
sheep; bat today my talk will be on
General Principles pertaining es-
peciaiy to problems that are just now
pressing us.
A would-be sheep breeder asked me
recently what is the future for Merino
sheep? Ireplied: 1T is just what you
make it.
The popular demands and markets
for Merino sheep are just as much the
production of the sheep breeder as is
the type and character of the sheep we
breed, and furthermore, if you have not
helped develop and popularize the
breed you have not earned right to
the market. Someone asked me recently
if Hampshire sheep had not already
passed the height of their popularity,
and | replied if they had there was no
one responsible but the breeders them
selves, as Hamshire sheep had just as
much practical value today as they had
yesterday. Now the same problem con-
fronts the Merino breeders. If the breed
is not in demand and popular today
no one is responsible but the breeders
themselves. There are a hundred
breeders today in this State, and more in
other States, who are complaining that
the business is dead, there is no
demand" and if they keep on com
planning and telling that business is
dead it will be deader than a door nail
next year. | don't know just exactly
how dead door nail is, but the bust
ness will be dead enough if we neglect
our hocks and tell the other fellow we
are going out of the business. If |
wanted to encourage the industry and
bring new and younger men into the
business, would show them flock in
good condition, flock representing the
maximum of progress in the develop
ment of wool and mutton in the Merino
breed that were producing from Is to
20 pounds on the average and that
had sold two-thirds of their produce,
reserving the best ewes and the best
rams to reinforce the flock and that
cleared 80 per cent on the investment
the first year. Now believe this and
more is reasonably possible and the
reason we are not doing it is our ideals
are not high enough. We have not
: studied our business. We have not
bred well enough and we have not dem.
onstrated or promoted their interests
before the sheep breeding public
-