The L'Anse sentinel., 1924-02-08

! prepared by the United States Department
OF Agriculture)
There Is need for considerable
expansion of the sheep industry in the
United States and the future holds
| promise of much greater stability for
It than 1t has enjoyed in the past,
say workers of the Department of
Agriculture. They believe the eXpan-
sion of the future will be character
lied by less violent fluctuations than
lave been common heretofore because
there Is relatively little unoccupled
land to which the industry can turn
and the pioneer phase of mutton and
wool production Is rapidly passing
Nevertheless II Is pointed out that
the sheepman in this country will al
ways have TO meet severe foreign COM
| petition. He must not only compete
I with wool growers in other countries,
4 but with producers of other live stock,
| for land, labor and machinery of pro-
/ dnction. 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
OF depression that have been the bane
of the sheep industry in the past can
not he altogether eliminated. When
prices for mutton and wool are low
producers necessarily reduce their
flocks. This action Increases the num-
ber Of sheep marketed and causes ad
dtional price depression. Later on
the supply of wool and mutton gets
low so that prices rise again. When
this takes place producers once more
enlarge their flocks 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. II 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
meet the competition Of the west rance
operators. The eastern men have good
nearby markets and in many cases can
raise sheep at lower cost than Is
possible under some western range con-
dltions. Rapid increase in the East
20 ha h.,I Ia aol-
Of knowledge concerning the care Of
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
)ful methods and following scientific
principles in sheep raising. One handi-
cap is the difficulty of securing ade-
uucte range. Many operators using
the public domain are faced with un-
certainty as to how much longer these
lands will be available to them.
Important changes have taken place
In the sheep industry in the last twen-
ty years, Formerly sheep in the Unit
| ed States were raised almost exclu-
] sively for wool. Recently the produc-
| tlcn of mutton and lamb has assumed
a dominating place in the industry. In
many western range outfits lambs fur
nish approximately 55 per cent Of the
revenue. But one Of the greatest prob
lens In marketing Is that of avoiding
congestion during the three-months'
period from August Is to November
10, and the departments specialists
urge sheepmen throughout the coun-
try to give this matter their close at.
tentlon.
Lamb receipts at leading markets
In this Il ree-months' period are fire.
Quently much greater than can he
readily absorbed. Such gluts always
break prices. Autumn congestion !,
aggravated by the practice Of market
ing lambs Of inferior quality at thii
time. These inferior native lamb,
have depressing influence on tn,
market. Besides hurting the sale o,
good lambs, they generally fetcl
prices below production costs. Sheep
men who can get their lambs to marke
earlier are advised to do SO; but
the lambs are not suitable for slaugf
ter before August they should be hel
few weeks or shipped to feed lots.
Another problem which the sheer
men are faced with is that Of viii
ming stable market for lamb an
mutton. Consumption Of lamb an
mutton in this country varies widel
from year to year. From 1907 to 191
per capita consumption ranged frol
~ pounds In 1917 TO SO pounds
p912. variation Of more than "a D,
cent. The Importance Of this variatIo
ts apparent when the fact Is take
! Into account that fhara L. xraa4i-.u