Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-11-15

"Ahe tn0 bneep INDUSTRY continues d
decline.
Under stress Of this war and the ran
idly increasing famine In various meo
products the demand for sheep product.
has grown in intensity until there 4
ground for hope that the next Vernon
Legislature may be persuaded to put a,
exterminating tax on worthless dogs. +
has been claimed the dog is not respon
sible for the disappearance Of the shee,
from q thousand hills in Vermont, bu
while that sentiment was being espresso,
dogs were raiding another herd of sheen
1t goes without saying that people ar,
not going to put money into preparation,
for the sheep industry. II worthless doe,
can kill of herds with immunity.
From now on until there IL suf1cisn,
supply Of wool ana meat there will be 3
strong agitation. steered from Philade,.
phia, to induce the New England State.
to go into the sheep-raising industry, &C.
cordins to the Public Ledger. 1t says
attempts have been made before to en-.
courage this. but they have carried lie.
tie momentum. partly because the Boston
wool merchants have not shown much in.
terest in the subject. It should not be
said that the recent conference in Boston
was the turning point. becaure the prop.
osition has been gaininA ground for some
time. but that conference served to give
the community its first intimation that
the plan is taking hold. In the earlier
efforts the incentive to sheepraisine was
In the market for wool, and at that time
both wool and meat were so cheap that
the yield did not overcome the losses
through the ravages Of the dog.
Now 1t is essentially a food question.
With lamb at the prices now commanded
ana wool also at the top notch price.
there IL no lack Of incentive.
Some Of the incentives to sheep raising
have been tabulated for general informa-
ton. says the Ledger. There u.s. for in.
stance. total net decrease in sheep among
the western allies and the United States
Of H.500.000 head. The 640-acre grazing
homestead act will curtail the industry
in the range States. The 1917 lamb crop
in the range States is rated at fifty per
cent. Of normal. The consumption of
mutton and lamb has increased greatly
during the last ten years. In the Uni
ted States only one farm in seven Of
moro than twenty acres has sheep.
In 1910 we produced s21.OO0,oOo pounds
Of wool and imported 1sO.0OO,ooo. In 1915
our production decreased to 2Ss. 900. 900
pounds and our imports rose to AZ. 1000, 900
pounds. We have in round numbers in
this country 100000 sheep. Doubling
this number would just about produce
the wool which we are now importing.
In 1890 the average price Of sheep per
head in this country was $2.21, in 1900 S2.os,
In 1910 $.n and in 1917 STA. Sheep at the
market centers are now selling as hiRh
a. IS a head.
The price of wool has risen accordingly.
Wool in 1880 sold at about twenty cents
per pound. in 1910 at about thirty cents,
while in 1917 the best grades Of wool have
sold al high as seventy-five cents for un-
washed clip at the farm. Choice combed
wool has brought 31.7O per pound in the
Boston market this season.
We Of Vermont do not need to be told
that New England and the northeast is
adapted to sheep-raising. In
the past this region was the center of the
industry in this country.
In 1910 sixty per cent. Of the wool clip
n the country came from New England
Ind the North Atlantic States. New Eng
and in 1880 had 1.asa.o0o head. In 1880 the
numbers had fallen to $4,000 and in 1910
o 10000. New York had more than a
million and a half sheep in 1880. but in
$40 only 100000 head. Maine decreased
0 per cent. Massachusetts 50 per cent,
Connecticut 50 per cent. and the other
states in about the same proportions be-
ween the years 19O0-1s1o.
The most marked decline came when
ne western ranges were opened. The
Sew England States and New York have,
'st counting woodland. 100000 acres Of
land. Much Of this is good
or sheep pasturage. There are also hum
reds Of thousands Of acres Of rough
and and poor pastures listed as improved
low producing virtually nothing. which
'ill support thousands of sheep. These
tates could easily take on and raise
en- times the sheep they are now keep
ne. Sheep make waste land productive.
hey require a minimum amount of con-
entrated feeds. They are great weed
illers. They multiply at rapid rate.
hey do not require a large amount of
abor-aliowing for fuller ana better
Of labor throughout the year
n the farm.
several things are needed to bring sheep |
aising back to northeastern farms:
'armers must be made to understand
hat conditions have changed from what !
hey were thirty years ago. All the meat
nd wool that we are likely to produce |
re, needed. Educational work must be |
arried on in the proper care Of sheep. |
heep will not thrive without proper at
'nton. but they do not require as much
are as other stock.