The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-14

herded as possible to prevent stray
ing. and to Craze them over one
area until the grass is completely
exhausted. bedding the sheep in the
same place every night during such
period. The result Is that more for
age is trampled and killed by the an
imais than is eaten, and that an un-
duly long time is required for the
range to recover. The forest SER
vice has by experiment perfected a
method Of handling sheep which
consists in ranging them in open or
der, and bedding the flock in diff
ferent place every night. In a series
of experiments by which this method
was compared with the old one, it
was found that not only was the
range injured much less. but that the
sheep gained In weight, and that
during the Landing season, much
fewer lambs were lost by crowding
and trampling.
The progress Of sheep across the
ranges of the West has been COM
pared to that of a pest of locusts. A
large flock of sheep, under the GUS
itomary. methods of handling, leavea
In its wake literally nothing but
dust. Not only all OF the forage,
/ but the plant life of all kinds, in
GLIDING small trees and shrubs. Is
completely destroyed. On national
forests 1t has been found necessary
| to greatly restrict the sheep grazing
areas. because the production of the
forest growth was checked for years
wherever they had passed. It is this
complete destruction Of the range by
sheep which has created the age-old
feud between cattle and sheep men.
In the old days OF the lawless range,
by irate cattlemen whose stock had
Of running sheep over the range.
! Such wasteful methods cannot be
tolerated in country which is hav-
ing difficulty in raising enough meat
for Its own consumption. The en-
forCement of scientific methods for
own consumption. The enforcement
of scientific methods in the use of
the range is the only remedy. Thus
the increase OF the mutton supply,
like that of beef, depends largely
upon the establishment of system
of increasing the number Of sheep in
federal supervision.
The next most important method
of increasin the number of sheep in
the country consists in educating the
farmers of tile country to keep few
sheep upon their. premises. An edu-
cationa1 campaign to this end is being
conducted by the Department of Ag-
riculture. There is scarcely farm
in the United States that would not
support from dozen to a hundred
sheep without restricting the num-
Der of other livestock raised. I'm
doubleday an important industry
may be developed in this way If the
farmers will take an interest in theI
matter. The chief difficulty lies I'M
the fact that the sheep is range
animal and will never thrive as well
upon farm as upon an open range.
Wherever sheep have been kept
upon farms or other relatively smasl
areas in this country, they have been
attacked by a parasite called the
stomach worm, which is often fatal
to them. 1t remains for long periods
upon farms where 1t has once got
ten hold. and fields infested by ii
are always unsafe for sheep. It all
ways develops where sheep are
crowded upon restricted area, and
may best be prevented by grazing the
animals in rotation upon q number
of fields. If farmers would be salts
fed to keep only few sheep, and to
handle those scientifically. the diff
ficulty would be largely obviated.
{ Dogs also destroy a great many
sheep. often by merely running them
to death, and in some regions are
the greatest obstacles to keeping,
sheep on farm. The Department
of Agriculture advocates combating
this danger by the passage of model
dog-laws, such as the state of Vir-
ginia has. and by building dog
proof night cotes.
Provided these difficulties can be-
overcome, the advantage to the far
mer of keeping sheep are many. The
sheep is more economical animal to
feed than the steer. returning large
amount of gain per hundred pounds
of feed consumed. It yields double
return in meat and wool. Sheep are
very prolific. and will increase 100
per cent annually under favorable
conditions. They will also clear a
farm of weeds If allowed to range in
the lanes. and in the stubble fields
after the grain is cut
In the early part OF the last century
sheep raising upon farms was al
profitable industry in this country.
In 1870, the middle Atlantic states
had more sheep than any other sec
ton of the country, 36.S per cent of
all sheep in the country being in that
section. while New England was sec
ond with 1913 per cent, and the third
place was held by the north central
states with 1876 per cent. Then came
the opening of the great western
ranges. where the sheep business was
carried on upon a much more extern
sive and profitable basis. At present
none of these sections has more than
five pcr cent of all the sheep in the
country, while 1913 per cent Of them
are In the mountain states. The de-
crease in number of sheep. and their
rise in Importance as a meat. animal
has created an unusual opportunity
to restore them to their former
place n farm animal.
Tomorrow: Our Meat Supply.
|III.-Pork.