The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1913-09-25

Mr.. l.. S. Durham, one of the
largest breeders of thoroughbred
Shropshire sheep in the United
States, spent last week on the Rich
field tract, familiarizing himself will
conditions in this locality from The
standpoint of his business. The
firm of L. S. Dunham & Son, of
Concord, Michigan, has for years
supplied the big sheepmen of Idaho
and the Northwest with thorough
bred stock. During the past four
years they have operated a branch
farm at Meridian. Mr. Dunham is
thoroughly familiar with conditions
in the best farming sections of the
Northwest as well as those farther
east AS a result of his visit here
he states that coptiitioDs on the
for the sheep industry as profit
able business for the small farmer
than anywhere else in the United
States. Mr.. Dunham was especially
enthusiastic over the adaptability OF
this soil for tame pasture grasses
and food values of our alfalfa hay
when properly put up. In his opin-
ion one acre of tame pasture should
support eight head of sheep and al
falfa hay fed to sheep should be
worth $40 ton.
Mr.. Dunham, while here, made
arrangements for the placing of sew
eral carloads of registered sheep
and several thousand feeders on
the farms Of w. j. Topper, c. 0.
Paulson, the Idaho Irrigation COM
pany and Others. He will return
in few days with his first shipmen
of these sheep. The Idaho Irriga-
ticn company has also made arrange
ments to place sheep on their Die
trich farm to feed some of the all
falfa hay in that locality.
While here Mr.. Dunham looked at
several large tracts of land and as
a result is considering the advis-
ability Of starting large sheep farm
of his own here and making this the
permanent headquarters of his bus
mess in the Northwest.
Mr. Dunham offers a proposition
which should be very attractive to
the small farmer who wants to
make start in the sheep business.
Hu offers to sell registered stock
to the farmers at $25 a head under
a contract which binds him to pay /
SIS a head for the increase at 1S
months old, but gives the farmer the
privilege Of selling for a higher pTic
If he can He is already convinced !
that he will place enough sheep
On this tract to justify him in locat-
ng, an expert sheep man here to see
hat the sheep are properly handled
At lambing time, to attend to the
registration of the increase, to in
;truct the farmers in the proper
:uring of alfalfa hay and to give
such other advice and instruction as
will enable them to make it profit
lble business. This would appear
o be an excellent opportunity for
he farmers on this tract to solve
he problem Of marketing their al
alta hay by placing them in a po-
ition to profit by the experience OF
man who has made a fortune in
he sheep business and who is thor
'ughly familiar with that business IL
ii it's details. We would not advise
nyone to go intos the sheep busi-
ess exclusively. We know that ther !
5 good money in cattle and hogs
nd we consider these as essential
Industries on the irrigated farm, but :
1hen a man of Mr.. Dunham's ex-
erience points out the special adap-
ability of this section, to the sheep y
we believe tho matter f
hCuld be considered seriously by 4 g