Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-05-27
FARMERS OVERLOOK
BIG VALUE OF SHEEP
And Especially Pure Bred Flocks
Saws Prof. Miller. of State
Agricultural College

sheep DOtn IN IhdllCldl way anu
as help to the farming land It
self. according to Prof. Richard
c. Miller, Sheep Extension Spe-
cialist of the University of Ken
lucky College OF Agriculture in.
an address for the Louisville Live
Stock Exchange in connection
with the purebred livestock CAM
paign being conducted by the Elk.
change and the Kentucky pure
bred livestock association.
Emphasis on the possibilities
of sheep raising developed coin
cidentally with Prof. Miller's talk
when the price of lambs jumped.
so cents per hundred at the Bour-
bon Stock Yards with growing
demand from the eastern consul
1ners and a slow movement oil
lambs to the market.
Prof. Miller in his talk declar-
ed that the use of grade and scrub
rams at the head of IS percent of
the flocks of the state meant a
loss annually Of 100000 to the
industry. A complete survey of
the state by Prof. Miller shows
that out of more than l,OOO,OOOI
sheep in the state fewer than l.
600 are registered purebred.
Reluctance of the farmer to
invest $40 to $50 for a registered
ram is blamed for this situation,
the price of his lack of vision be-
ing inferior animals with an in
variable loss. Tendency of the
farmer to rush into the the sheep
industry when prices are high
and then to pull out when there
is a slump also for the variable
size and quality of flocks.
Prof. Miller'S address follows:
Two years ago Kentucky farm
ers were buying sheep at fancy
prices, paying SIS to $50 and even
SIS in some cases for ordinary
breeding ewes. Today these same,
farmers are sacrificing their
flocks at less than one-half what
they paid for them. | am not
surprised at this attitude on the
part of the Kentucky farmer, be-
cause experience has shown that
he goes into the livestock bust
ness wheen prices are high then
gets discouraged and goes out
when prices slump.
In my opinion there was never
a better time than now for a
farmer to start with flock OF
sheep, in fact, | believe the flu
ture for the sheep industry in this
country is brighter today than
ever before in the history of the
nation. | will admit that the
wooden markets are congested
but when we consider the good
price for lambs and the fact that
last year in competition with
{ frozen mutton from Australia,
I equal in amount to one-third OF
what we normally produce, the
lamb market held up better than
i any other livestock market. |
can readily see that the demand
for lambs in this country is great
er than home production.
The focks CT the country, es-
pecially in the Western states,
have been greatly decimated dur
! ing the past year. This, coupled
with the fact that frozen mutton
from Australia is cut off thru a
protective tariff, makes greater
demand for lambs form the corn
belt states. As to the wooden
market, it may be some time be
fore we, can expect a return tc
normal conditions, however, with
the American mills in norma
times consuming twice as much
wool as we produce in this coun,
try, there is no reason why tht
wooden market should not get
back to normal.
Sheep, not as a speculative, blu
as a producing factor in farm op
Grafton, have a spendid recor'
where they have been permitte'
to remain on one farm over
long enough period to make
record. A flock of ewes main
tanned year after year, can b
carried at a low cost and wi
bring in profit on the none
invested greater than that fror
any other phase of farming. Cos
account records in the corn bel
states show this to be so.
| have recently completed
sheep survey of the state. Thi
survey brought to light some in
teresting as well as aInazin
facts, a few Of which may b
summarized as follows:
Farmers in Kentucky as
whole, have never seriously cor
sidered sheep raising as part