Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-03-26
The Sheep situation.

for increased wool and mutton produc
tion In the United States. The neces
sary increase cannot be brought abopt II
the Western range states, because there
10 . steady reduction Of range area q
homesteaderS settle the country ant
turn this land into farms. There art
and will continue to be many grea
western tracts used for sheep ranges
but they are not and will not be sufficient
| for the Nations needed increase In WOO
and mutton production. The general
farms, the agricultural lands rather thar
the specialized sheep sections, must
bring about this increase. Six farms
ont Of seven In the United States have
no sheep. The placing Of focks on
these farms at ratio OF one sheep to
each three acres of land, is the solution
Of the problem.
The sheep industry must be revived
In Pennsylvania, New York, and Eastern
and New England States where 1t for
merly flourlshed but where it declined and
In recent years has passed almost entire
~ away. In some Of the Eastern states
many ewes have been distributed this
winter. One agency has arranged to
ship 1000 from Oregon to New York
state. There IL an increasing under
standing among the Eastern and New
England farmers that their abandon
ment of the sheep industry in the past
constitutes no argument against eugag-
ing In it at present; that conditions then
and now differ entirely.
The former sheep industry in this
section had as Its objective the produc-
ton of woodland wool of the finest
quality at that. Mutton was not taken
into consideration. But now the OBJ.
jectives of sheep production are both
wool and mutton. Prices OF each have
advanced rapidly. World consumption
has increased and world production has
decreased. Furthermore, the leading
sheep countries have had similar ex-
perieuces to those of our Western states
agricultural development has reduced
the sheep range.
High mutton prices have caused such
extensive marketing Of lambs that the
world has not Increased Its number of
breeding animals In proportion to the
demand. Wool production in all the
leading sheep countries has remained
practically stationary for over six years.
The world wants more wool and
mutton, and the range countries-the
lands of sheep speoialization-cannot
meet the demand. The farms must do
go. These are the fundamental economic
facts which justify the Eastern and New
England states in re-devefOping the
sheep industry that they abandoned
when very different conditions Of supply
and demand prevailed.
Sheep, for both wool and mutton pro-
duction, are ideally adapted to system
of intensive farming. At Q ratio OF
one sheep to each three acres, the aver
age farm can, by proper management,
take care of sheep flock Without re-
ducing Its other live stock, and with 3
very small additional expense offeed and
labor. In proportion to the value OF
their. products sheep require less labor
and smaller expenditures for feed than
any other live stock. They do require
some extra labor and must have very
careful attention at times, for instance,
during the lambing season. They need
less grain than other stock, and they
fnd much of their subsistence from
weeds and roughsges that would not be
utilized otherwise.
The production of wool iu the United
States has decreased from 321 ,S62, $50
pounds In 1910 to 2s5, ,57S, 900 pounds in
1917. There has been decrease In pro-
duction each year during the war; and
yet We have increased the amount OF
wool manufactured in the United States
from $50, ,S56,525 pounds in 1914 to 49,
679, ,924 pounds 10 1915. This year,
because of war necessities, the manufac-
turing consumption will be larger. The
difference between the amounts produc-
cd and manufactured represents the
wool We have imported. But the
shipping shortage makes 1t imperative
that these importations be limited to the
minimum, which is another reason why
our home production of wool must be
increased, not only ss much as possible,
but a. quickly a. possible.
The New England farmer, and farmers
everyw here for that matter, will be help
ing win the war by adding sheep to their
scheme of agricultural production-for
twenty sheep are needed to supply the
clothing for one soldier. And, in addi-
ton to bis patriotic service, the farmer
will be advancing bis personal interests
lin increasing his income.