Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-02-16
COMMUNICATIONS.
SHEEP AND WOOL INDUSTRY.


To the Editor of the Register
The success of the industrial effort to
reestablish the sheep and wool industry
in this country to which Mr.. II, c. Cady
refers will be watched with much in
terest after the war is over and the
great machinery Of the English Colonial
two clips per year wool industry is
again in motion. 1t should be borne in
mind that two decided attempts have
been made in this country to reestabllsh
the sheep industry since IL cents per
pound wool was in order One OF these
was through a company started IN Mas
sachusetts with capital sufficient to
start up on the Furnished flocks and
share of increase plan" introduced by
Consul Jarvis over a century ago. Some
farmers in this country awaited them
selves of this seeming easy plan TO
start up new hocks and few old
timers, the writer among them, con-
tinued Loyalty, at loss, with small iiocks
for better conditions. The second at
tempt to which refer was by western
man who had made his pile in other
business and was enthused by the price
of mutton lambs in the Chicago markets
to come East where land was cheap and
go to producing fat lambs for a profit
able business, selling the wool as by
product to help pay expenses. In his
vision he had figured that 1000 coarse
wool ewes would produce at least 1000
lambs for some Of them would
have twins. These at $500 per
head, the then selling price, would
bring cash return of So, 600 per annum.
So accordingly he travelled the country
over to find the right sort of farm, and
after visiting several States at last
found in Windsor county an ideal loca'
ton, large 700 acre upland farm or
hardpan soil, excellent for hay OF
grazing. He secured this fine, com
pact piece of land, with a large i
room two story farm house and SIX
barns in a fair state of repair and yaIu
able timber enough on the place tC
more than pay for it mot including
1900 bucket sugar orchard) for less
than $500 per acre. 1t was on mali
road and enjoyed X. +. D., and tele
phone privileges on the premises. Some
of the barns had good Easements erected
at considerable expense for sheer
breeding by former owner. These HI
tore nearly all down and erected OF
other sites two large gable-roofe'
modern EQUIPPED barns at the cost of sew
eral thousand dollars. One was in
tended for dairy and the other TO
sheep. He started in with less thai
half the proper number of sheep, an
engaged the services of a compton
Scotch shepard with two intelligen
sheep dogs. This limited number o
sheep was never increased but de
minished from year to year until Their
was none for the dream did not prov
true. He soon found that when he ha
grass fed lambs fat and ready to G
the eastern down country marke
suddenly was both slow and low
When he sought to sell to HON
markets he found them under contraC
to buy from the beef trust all meat
they could handle; when he attempte
to peddle from house to house he me
either with encouragement or ba
debts. The amount the wool bougt
was insignificant and 80 the bushes
vanished. So too as to the Sheep Co
its business was closed out some tin
ago and am not aware that any of i
patrons have continued. The few o
stand-bys nearly all gave up IN dl
gust when finally wool came in free
duty. A few leading facts should
taken into consideration in histor
resume of the wool industry as well
depreciation or eastern farm real e