Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-06
COMING SHEEP INDUSTRY
ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY
Time to Grew More Producers In yir-
Einia Now That Dogs are
Controlled.

Now that Virginia has n dog law
shat will protect sheep, hundreds Of
farmers who have raised sheep before
are arranging to embark in the BUSH
ness. To all such, AN appeal issued
by the United States Chamber of Com
merce Will be Interesting.
The sheep industry in the United
States must either adjust itself TO the
changed economic conditions of this
day or continue 10 decline which has
been its portion in years past Such
is the conclusion reached in a report
issued to-day on the sheep and wool
Industry by the Committee on Statistics
and standards Of the Chamber OF Com
merce OF the United States
The principal remedies suggested In
the report TO arrest the present steady
decline in our products ion of sheen are
hrsi: the use OF sheep grazing OF the
agriculturally worthless and cheap cut
over timber lands OF the North, North
west. and South: second. the more
general and systematic Using of sheep
on farms, where sheep raising has been
hitherto neglected largely because OF
frontier competition; and third contin-
hed use or the great ranges OF the
West TO their full capacity 1t can
be done. 1t is question Of education.
The cause OF the decline in the
number OF sheep on our Western ranges
Is the growth OF dry farming. and tho
consequent reduction in the grazing
range. The industry has come TO de-
pend on that range and Il has not yet
adjusted itself TO the idea that il will
now have 10 seek part of It's range
sevhere, on cut-over timber land
and on farms all over the country.
In 1900 We had in the United state.
SO sheep per capita. In 1917. the ny-
ure dropped to 40 per capita. Again
Great Britain. IT is 3.73 pc. cent here.
The reasons presumably is that Great
britain with no great Western ranges
TO depend on, has solved the problem
OF raising sheep chcapiy and abundant
~ on the farm.
The figures with regard 10 wool pro-
duciion are equally striking. In 1890
we produced i.29 pounds OF wool per
capita. In 1917 only ere pounds per
capita.
Sheep Increase rapidly-from so to
100 per cent annually as compa red with
the number of ewes. II Is, therefore,
natural 10 ask why can't we get
the necessary increase At once by con-
serving the lambs instead OF sending
them 10 markets"
There are two reasons One IL tnar
the Western ranges already have all
the sheep they can feed withou, de.
tct ioi htiUh OF lHe range me other
is that many sheep ruisers depend 70.
their income as much or selling lambs
is selling wool. The industry is large
ly or that economic basis.
II comes. therefore, largely. down
TO question of using for sheep rails
ing our cut-over timber lands and our
farms. That sheep can be raised
abundantly and proftahly on farms is
evident from the experience In Eng
land. Sheep killing dogs have always
been one obstacle TO this: but the dog
problem is doubtless soluble. Dogs
killed about 100000 sheep in States OF
the Mississippi in 1919.
There IS every reason, in tho opn-
ion of the committees. why for the
sake OF our economic welfare and in
dependence. we should act on the fact
that we can raise enough sheep IL
we will. and reap advantage and profit
in so doing.