Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-03
Worlds Problem Has Been Made
Acute Because of the
War.
URGE FARMERS RAISE THEM
Statistics Show One Farm in
Seven Stocked With These
Animals.
United States Department of
Agriculture.


United States the necessity for very
large increase In tho sheep industry
has become imperative.
Conditions arc such that this in
crease must be brought about on the
al-round farms Of the country, as
part OF general agriculture: not az a
specialized industry. Tho principal
reason for this is that the sheep ranges
Of the Western States have been re-
duced in area as agriculture has de-
veloped. Grazing land has been
changed to farming land.
Only ono farm out OF seven In tho
United States carries any sheep Yet,
by proper management. practically
every farm can support some sheep.
without reducing other 1.-Two stock. and
with very small additional feed and
labor charge. Americas solution OF
the wool problem is to get uheep on
these sheepiess farms.
The average annual wool importa-
ton Of the United States for the last
three years could have been produced
at home IL one-fourth Of the farms
without sheep had carried one sheep
to each three acres. Before the war
England had one sheep for each two
and one-half acres OF its entire land
area, while the United States had one
sheep for each thirty-onc and eight
tenths acres Of farm land, exclusive Of
tho Western ranges.
Some years ago England saw the
economic necessity OF establishing the
sheep industry, for both wool and NUT
ton. as part OF the permanent aEri-
cultural policy OF the country. That
is Americas necessity nova neces-
sity accumulated by the war. but
caused fundamentally by conditions
that would have required readjust-
ments II there had been no war.
The great ehcep countries have been
the frontiers OF the world-the new
countries" undeveIoped agricuiturally.
and having vast tracts OF cheap land
suitable for sheep ranges. Our own
Western States. Australia, South
Africa, South America, afforded such
opportunities-and do yet. OF course,
although not SO extensively as in the
past
Tho object OF range production was
wool. Mutton was minor considera-
ton; first. because the world didn't
need 1t. and. second because it
couldn't be transported from the
pioneer lands. Wool. on the contrary,
could be held indefinitely. and could
be carried to market In time. no mat
ter how limited or how difficult the
transportation facilities.
But these conditions changed as rail-
roads began to reach the new coun-
tries" Homesteaders settled upon
range land and put II into cultivation.
AS agriculture developed, land ad-
vanced In value. Smaller areas were
available for sheep. Ocean refriGera-
tion and other transportation improve
ments made 1t possible for the iron
tiers" to ship mutton TO the other side
Of the earth. High mutton prices
caused the slaughter of lambs to an
extent that prevented focks from in
creasing sufficiently TO meet the wool
demands. For over six years the
worlds wool production remained
practically stationary.
There are no new frontiers to be
MISUNDERSTANDING from a standpoint
OF the sheep industry. British South
Africa is tho only important sheep
country where 1t seems probable that
wool production can be increased
The obvious conclusion is the one
reached by England before the war,
md that must be followed in Amer
now-thc wool deficit must come from
the farms.
Immediate military needs will re-
quira more than the total wool pro-
duction of the United States Our i'm
portations of wool have been increas-
ing very sharply in recent years. but,
eliminating all other considerations
for the moment. we cannot continue at
that pace because of the ship shortage.
To bring wool to America means to
send ships on long voyages to distant
parts Of the earth. when every vessel
Is needed in the Atlantic lanes to
transport men, munitions and food to
Europe.
The production OF wool in the
United States decreased steadily from
321,362.750 pounds in 1910, to 2s0,1s2.-
900 pounds in 1914. 2ss. 100000 pounds
In 1916, and 2S5573,0o0 pounds in 1917.
There are 100000 fewer sheep in the
United States this year than in 1914.
But the amount OF wool manufac-
tured in tho United States increased
from 5bo.356.525 pounds in 1914 to
7s7679,924 pounds In 1916. A still
larger amount was manufactured In
1917.
Through the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture efforts have been
made this fall and winter to cause
farmers and breeders to save ewes
instead Of selling them for slaughter.
These efforts have been successful, the
smaller number going to slaughter
meaning a larger number carried
through the winter for a spring lamb
crop next year. Many sheep will be
shipped from the range States Of the
West to tho New England and Middle
Western States this winter. One
agency has arranged to ship 10000
ewes from Oregon to New York State.
These redistributions Of breeding
stock give fair promise of nm increased
production next year. 1t will be
necessary. perhaps. to continue the
campaign for several years before tho
necessary increase In production is
reached.