The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-10-30
Government Expert in Brat
tlebOrO Outlines Yer
mont Conditions
OPPORTUNITY FOR
EASTERN FARMERS
Raising Sections in Windham County
Best Breeding Stock.

Best Breeding Stock.
If plans of the United States depart
ment of agriculture do not miscarry, the
pasture lands of Vermont some day will
be grazed by multitudes of sheep as they
were 75 years ago. A beginning already
has been made in that direction, and one
of the tangible evidences of that fact is
the presence in Brattleboro today of
sheep expert sent here by the govern
ment to interest those who have facilities
for raising sheep to make that part of
their regular business.
j. A. Sturtevant came here late yester-
day and was taken to Wilmington by
County Agent A w Sweeton. A few
days ago he was in Westminster West,
and had the weather been propitious he
and Mr.. Sweeton would have gone to Bel
lows Falls today. Those three sections
of Windham county are the most active
in the county in the sheep industry.
In Wilmington Mr.. Sturtevant met at
the home of Forrest Boyd a number of
farmers interested in sheep raising, out
lined what the government has in mind,
made survey of the conditions there
and urged the farmers to enter into the
industry more extensively. He is one of
five experts sent out by the government
to the sheep raising sections of the coun-
try, and his territory is New Hampshire
and Vermont He has covered New
Hampshire and is now making tour of
this state 1t is probable that the govern
ment will keep a man in this territory
three years or more. The Vermont Agri-
cultural Extension service is cooperating
to some extent.
The high point in sheep raising in Yer
mont was reached in 1910, when the CEN
sus reports showed about 800, 600 sheep
in the state. They were largely Merinos.
The government estimates for the past
two years place the number at 100000,
but the listers returns show less than
half that number, or about $4,000. In
Windham county there are less than
1000, but the number has begun to in
crease The New Hampshire survey
shows about 10000.
There were several reasons for the
decline, one being the competition of
the great western areas and anoth-
er being that the value of mutton was
not emphasized as it is today. The
grazing areas of the West are becom-
ing more and more restricted, and one
of the results is to enhance the value
of sheep and enlarge the opportunity of
the farmers of the East The move
ment was begun before the war broke
out, but the war has increased the de-
mand for meat, so there is now the op-
portunity to do patriotic duty as well
as Law the foundation for a profitable
business.
Most of the sheep now raised in Yer
mont are of the Shropshire breed. The
breed is run down at present through
| the use of rams that are not of the
1 best quality, but Mr. Sturtevant thinks
| the Shropshires are as good as any
dual purpose breed, and it is for both
mutton and wool that the Vermont
farmer should strive.
! Breeding stock is high, and the gov
ernment is urging the farmers to save
/ their best breeding stock and their eve
lambs so as to build up their flocks
without going to large expense. They
are urged to make sheep raising a part
of their regular live stock farm work,
as sheep require less labor and grain
than dairy cows.
When asked as to the dog menace
Mr.. Sturtevant replied that it was more
mythical than actual, although he said
it existed to degree.not to be laughed
at. Some damage is done by dogs in
the daytime, but most of the damage is
done night 1t is not practicable to
undertake to build fences in Vermont
that would be dog proof, but it would
be an easy matter for the majority of
sheep raisers to build corrals near their
barns that would be dog proof and to
get the sheep up every night when the
cattle herds were driven in. Mr.. Sturte
want said the Vermont laws in general
regarding sheep were good, but that
they were faulty in respect to the mat
ter of damages.
A conference of persons interested in
the sheep industry will be held in
Boston Friday of this week, and Mr..
iSturtevant intended to attend that
meeting. One of those present will be
F. R. Marshall, head of the sheep in
vestigation work of the United States
department of agriculture.