Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-08-27


A recent trip taken by the writel
through the section of the State de
voted to the production of spring
lambs, shows an alarming decrease
in the sheep population. 1t is strange
but seems very true, that when any
thing is the highest ON the market, the
farmer has nothing to sell. If there
ever was time that seemed favor
able for going into the sheep business
it certainly is now. There is a nation.
wide shortage of sheep. They have
been one of the greatest sources OF
profit to the Middle Tennessee farmer.
Everything indicates greater profit in
the near future. In the face of all this
the farmer is selling so per cent of
his stock ewes this year, when there
was already shortage of 25 per cent
from last year.
In the past such practice was in
degree excusable because it was
possible 10 obtain satisfactory ewes
cheaper than the market value OF eve
lambs. Such practice, year after year
however, necessarily exhausted the
supply, since no effort has been made
to keep it up. The yearly advancing
price offered by the stockdrover to the
farmers of the hill sections of Tennes.
see and of Alabama and Mississippi
has tempted him to sell closer every
year, until he has very little left tc
sell or even to breed from.
The bulk of the ewes going out now
cannot be replaced for the price they
are bringing. They are just in their
prime, and have become adapted to
local conditions. This, of course
does not mean that the Tennessee
farmer is going to quit growing sheep
but it is extremely unfortunate that
he is selling so close, simply because
The price is higher than ever before
when the chances are it will be higher
next year Now is the time to be in
the sheep business, not the time to
sell out, and this coming season will
be the very worst one to buy into it, |
on account of the high prices. The
market demand for spring lamb is get |
ting stronger each year.
The other day farmer was telling |
the writer how he had formerly owned
a flock of sheep and with what regu
larity his family had mutton to eat |
and how thor oughly they enjoyed it |
But when he began to recount, he |
found that it had been forty years |
since he had tasted mutton. There are |
plenty of farmers in the State who
don't know the taste of lamb.
BY the system now practiced in Mid |
die Tennessee, the sheep live almost
entirely on crops that formerly fur
nished no pasture. The winter grain
fields and the rapidly increasing acre.
age of winter cover crops may be
made to pay their entire cost of seed
and seeding, by the sheep pasture
they furnish, and still serve their pri |
mary purpose. The cost of lamb pro
duction is thereby greatly reduced.
Every farm in the State should have
a small flock of sheep, except of course
small tracts devoted to trucking, etc.
and cultivated very intensively. Ten
nessee could easily support 100000
more sheep than at present without
any other kind live stock
Such an increase will have to come
through combined community effort
The dog continues to be a real menace
10 the industry; not SO much because
Of the actual loss he causes, but more
because Of the worry. The actual loss
from dogs is shown to be only one-halt
per cent on all acreage for a period OF
EN- years, but a great many farmers
will not raise sheep, simply because of
'ear of the dog. The individual who
alone undertakes to raise sheep in his
is taking heavy risk.
When everybody in the community,
however, goes into the sheep business
here is enough sentiment against the
log to control him, and he gives very |
little trouble.-R. M. Murphy, Univer |
,ity of Tennessee.