The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-16
| SHEEP DEPARTMENT ]
SHOCK TO KANSAS
No One Knew We Had so Many
Wool Bearers.
Sixty-Six Pens of ThOrObreds
at State Fair.
All KINnS SI7ES and SHAPES
ALL KINDS, SIZES AND SHAPES
Sheep Culture Valuable to Aan-
sas, Says w. ]. Cody.
Farmers Here Don't knO"
What They Are Missing.

II isn't an uncommon thing any
,,ora for Kansas to do something uh-
looked for. It's getting to be an every
dow occurrence. Go into another STATE,
or anv part of these United STATES anu
Won will find what Kansas uoes 40
watched with more than passihs ~
terest. But no one gets eNciteu 80
il If precedents are broken OFTEN
enough. either by individuals or com
monwealths, the edge OF sensatl ~ 'a-
Ism wears off for the observer. some
dav Kansas is going to do something
inst like some one else Woulu 10 II
and the world will gasp. But Tor Kan
sas ~ SUNRISE itself is something else,
for il is seldom done. But IT mas peeI
done. Kansas latest self sustained
shock was generated this week. w men
the premium list was MADE up LOT tlo
Topeka free fair the comphers ran
their work along smoothly until they
come to the sheep department. That
class of livestock being almost foreign
to this state, they worried a little
while and put down prizes LOT ABOUT
every head of the wool producing am
mails Kansas would at least ina out
its average as a pinch hitter. Kansas
did. 1t rubbed it's eyes Monday ana
counted sixty-six pens of sheep in that
department. And they were not Just
sheep" Every one of them is recorded
in the livestock Blue Books-regis-
tered.
Mostly From Kansas.
OF course, they are not all from diff
ferent parts of Kansas. but the ma
Jority of them were. Two flocks are
from Nebraska, another Is from Iowa
and still another is from Missouri. Two
car loads-the flocks from Missouri
and Iowa-came from the Minnesota
state fair. There are Shropshires, best
ADAPTED t. the Kansas climate and
conditions. In other pens are Hamp-
ehfres. Then there are dainty, white
faced Dorsets. Southdowns, OXfords
and Hncolns are also exhibited.
Cotswo1ds, acknowledged as superior
for wool producing, are also there
The Black Merinos are something OF
a novelty in Kansas. The horns OF the
Rambouillet rams are warped and ugly
and the sheep are giants of their kind.
w. ]. Cody, a prominent Kansas live
stock expert-his home is in Topeka
is in charge of the exhibit of which
he is justly proud.
Kansas, he says, has not yet realized
the value of sheep for market pur-
poses. Too many farmers, he thinks,
look upon them as valuable only for
wool producing. AS a denial of that
he points to the present price of NUT
ton. The price is high. If you want
to prove it go into a meat shop and
much you get.
Twenty or twenty-five head Of
sheep, Mr.. Cody says. can be kept on
the average sized Kansas farm and it
won't cost the owner a cent to raise
and fatten them. They will live on
the waste of the farm and produce
market animals. If they are cared for
more properly and a little money and
pains are spent and taken the profits
and results will be that much better
In truth, there were more sheep in
Kansas years ago than now. That was
when the range was more or less open
and great ranches were the order of
the day. Kansas was just on the edge
of the great free range of the west
when cattlemen were thrown into a
scare by sheepmen who drove great
herds that consumed all vegetation as
they went across the country spelling
parts of the range for cattle. A GER
tain enmity on the part of the cattle
men grew out of that and perhaps that
is why the industry passed so quickly
more quickly than it came. But
Kansas farmers. livestock experts say
are beginning to realize the value of
the animals for market purposes and
it may not be many years until the
industry will be a big one in this state