Milford chronicle., 1924-02-22

Dubc
prepared BY the United States Departnsu
Of Agriculture.l
There is need for a considerable
expansion Of the sheep Industry in th
United States and the future hold
promise Of much greater stability 70
It than It has enjoyed in the mast
say workers of the Department O.
Agriculture. They believe the expan
sion Of the future will be character
ized by less violent fluctuations thar
have been common heretofore because
there Is relatively little unoccupiet
land to which the industry can turr
and the pioneer phase of mutton and
wool production is rapidly passing.
Nevertheless it is pointed out that
the sheepman In this country will al.
ways have to meet severe foreign com.
petition. He must not only compete
with wool growers in other countries
but with producers of other live stock.
for land, labor and machinery of pro-
ductiOn. There is also the problem of
getting an adequate place for lamb
aud mutton in the diet of the country.
Moreover the sheepmen are warned
that the recurring cycles of prosperity
or depression that have been the bane
Of the sheep industry in the past can.
not be altogether eliminated. When
prices for mutton and wool are low
producers necessarily reduce their
6Ocks. This action increases the num-
Der Of sheep marketed and causes ad-
dltiOnal price depression. Later on
the supply Of wool and mutton gets
low 80 that prices rise again. When
this takes place producers once more
enlarge their f1Ocks until the demand
is OvershOt again and the cycle Is re-
peated. The sheep industry reached
a low point during the recent period
Of financial depression. It Is now
building up, but the departments
workers do not expect any early sat
uration Of the home demand because
the market for mutton is continuing
strong and the country normally has
to import about half its wool supply.
Scientific Knowledge Essential.
Many eastern and midwestern farm
ers, it is said, can now more readily
meet the competition of the west range
operators. The eastern men have good
nearby markets and in many cases can
raise sheep at a lower cost than is
possible under some western range con-
ditions. Rapid increase in the East
seems, however, to be limited by lack
nf khA
sheep and also by the attractions Of
other branches Of farming. In the
West expansion is expected to be on
the basis Of higher operating costs
than formerly, but sheepmen are meet
Ing this condition by eliminating waste ]
full methods and following scientific 1
principles in sheep raising. One handl- {
zap is the difficulty Of securing ade-
luGte range. Many operators using
he public domain are faced with un- {
as to how much longer these (
ands will be available to them. I
Important changes have taken place q
n the sheep industry in the last twen- v
y years. Formerly sheep in the Unit
d States were raised almost exclu- +
lively for wool. Recently the prOduc- o
lCn of mutton and lamb has assumed Il
dominating place in the industry. In n
lany western range outfits lambs fur Il
ish approximately 55 per cent of the e.
eVenue. But one Of the greatest prob 1t
ms in marketing is that of avoiding fl
DngestiOn during the three-mOnths' ii
eriod from August Is to November al
), and the departments specialists W
rye sheepmen throughout the cOun- It
y to give this matter their close at ce
.ntion. til
Lamb receipts at leading markets IN
this Il ree-months' period are fire. tr
lently much greater than can he lOi
adily absorbed. Such giuts always
eak prices. Autumn congestion IS po
,gravated by the practice Of market eli
g lambs Of inferior quality at this tn,
ne. These inferior native lambs pc
We a depressing influence on the on
lrket. Besides hurting the sale of on
cd lambs, they generally fetch abb
Ices below production costs. Sheen ert
N who can get their lambs to market ma,
rlier are advised to do so; but if ing
: lambs are not suitable for slaugh- fle'
; before August they should be held wO
'ew weeks or shipped to feed lots. ere
Another problem which the sheep
n are faced with is that of win 81,
lg a stable market for lamb and
ttOn. Consumption Of lamb and
ton in this country varies widely S
m year to year. From 1907 to 1922 sue
capita consumption ranged from pas
pounds in 1917 to SO pounds in late
2. a variation of more than "A per mel
t. The Importance of this variation at 1
apparent when the fact is taken like
} account that there is practically Of |