Sheep And Wool In The Future

To Editor of the Michigan Farmer: Perhaps no branch oí farmiug ix, ór will bc, more affected by nation il legielation man the growing of slieep and wool. The same thlng caanot be truthlully saiil about eattle breeding or wheat growing. The United States, excepi for breeding purposes, do nol import to any large extent eattle or horses, and both fin tic and horses impoited as thoroughbreds for purposes oí mptovemem in bree:ling, are under preeem 1 iwa br lught in Very i;ttle nrheS ! importetl Into this country, large quant ties are exportEd - ted v. hea I m nnpei ition the surplus wheat of the world's n, mu li oí which can be proh o ■■ 'r :■ ■ on lande worth more per y higher priced labor. States produce ;i !■■ tle i ii hall the amount of w ooi manuiactured a i asumed bj people, whil ■ al] thai is needed si ind coul 1 !■ i i ; -a here ií n sona i . ■ assured ur market. H1O-.1 every parí oí this i well i oducs íor many years ■ ■i neeae.í for con; um i 1 mnnuía : to n ■ ■ on e, aor in ; more. íii me is i ge rid 61 , f] ick o any As well mighi che fariuer ttop breèding lio 6.a sa ;ri i i vvhat Ue lias on hand bëeause they low in price just now. With more propriety, as a business proposition, could li" abstain fi-om wheat productión, for be is dependent upón the competition of the whole worl I for t lie sale o.' liis surplus wheat, vh:ie in horses, wool, sheep and largely in cattle and swine, his market is found ai lióme. Sheep and wool growing, while not yielding the returns for the nvestment (ïesired, should not eease. lí I i-ead the feelings oí flopk-masters correctly, it ioiiv ys this conrict'on co me : That the maln stimulus in the ation o! so many Elne flocks oí ;i ín this country lay in the fact oi un1 money received, and as soou us a eeeming rereTae was apparaaí i !d of il.ii.ks became p ev 1 1. ■ animáis which had given so tnuch pleasure when highly profitable are now objeots of susplcion, ;m:! a desire to get i-i 1 of them has become a inania and oiK-e more are we beholding the characteriític öf the American peopie to beeome anxioua to sell when prlees are going down. only to be folby a 1 ki' desire to purchas ■ again when prioes for the sune kind of stock are rapidly advancing. This ( n my opinión) is not the time for the American farmer to experiment too larg K apon guess work. üetter that In receive a smaller return from his flocks or herds tor a time than that he sacrifice them whlle in the peculiar eondition he finds himseif :■ Í by mie o! those disturb me s whieh occasionfiliy occur in the li'srory of all countries. Il ne sells ïor low price3 ïiiuv, and y;,y high prices in the future for similar animáis, lie sustains a aouble los---, besides the loss sustalned in the iiitervening period. Grain raising can be abandoned th mui-h lees iik than stock i-ais ag, for it can be resumed again iï desirabl i Avi'.h so mucli Irs, expense. No in(:.:■ t y to-day is le.-s embarrassed than Earming. Farmers must, in the , ie to a large extent the same kínüs of grain, the same kindf I stock, improved in every way pos i le, and m n:ige with toproved ski 1 " varioua farm dutiee, eonditionw aceording to the changed cin ■ whioh they operal e. Men and women vi 1 bi with woolen and cottoii goods r.iainly. wil] e.u wheat, corn, oats, pota.-ill kindse garden tables, beef muttpn, pork, poultry, .. eh e ■ and n 1 dalry producís. They will work horses, mules, and n some ases osen,i and al) I s come from the 'arm. This n i - I han in the past; II the ■- products of the farm ln-ing1 lesa in prices I merly, the loss must aii'.i eau good in super1 I ' ral Ion and ii : and in tno ! ■ methods anti p , tarmer Is as neces-'ary a factor-to suceess in all i! 'pi i ii Indnsi ry i o day as he has ever beeu in the past. He Is likei be more necersary in the futuro. and w-ool-growing wil] be an t;:ni factor in American AgriculEarmer Tvho sticks by hi3 floeks now and in the tutun tanaclously as he has In the past, will in ni.v opinión be v.oH pa ia for hls laith and good work. Tliis opinión is bassd upon the tact thai farmlng must be eontinued as the most i I iiv conntrj : i i agri :ulture. 'cari contimied its su ■ I y up■:; 'i iation. Woo] growing wil! be one o 1 wiil depend upón Tt ií weil known lint■ ■.;■■, iy cholee oí' breeds I do noc : : mui , ; cor do i admit, as able vvool raiaI a thiug mutt m ar ■ a o ■.- s ■ y ■ ieep Eor wooí produetion p; insSpal'y are 1 he wooi market is no flisturbed than the niuíton marThe same condltlons which afíeet onc class of sheep, so far ;ik price ! n.i demand are coneerned, affect all öther classes. No onc breed has a marked superiority over any other breed. All brceds should be kept and Lmproved that p ove themseves worthy. All should be bred witli some specific object in view. A breeding ïlo.k-. each breed shonld be kept pure trom any crossing with er breed. If for early mutton cross'wj; can be profitably done. 1 .mi not In y inpathy witb the Itheory iliat the different mutton breeds of sheep, which are much nearer nliied to each other in blood than they are to the Merino, should be bred pure, and that a better sheep can be product'!! by ero sing a Koek of Merinos with aome of the niutiiin breeds. Thé very fact f the belief of the breeders of the mutton breeds thai the best resulta are oluaiiKMÍ by breeding each farail.v distinet is a stronger reason why the Merino breeder shoilld keep entirely free from tlie practlce of crossiDg hls ilock with any mutton sheep, except as before Btated for early muttoff. To the Merino breeder I would say, improve vuur flock with Judieious selections in mating. Thai selectlon should be made from the American Morlno. Inprove the wool-growing tendencies of your slieep. Add to the lengt h of the flèece if H can be without loss of density and quality. Increase the size gradually, getting rid of too many wrinkles, if this can be done without lo.-s of symmetry. Keep the constitution animpaired. The saines or similar adviee, might be offered to the breeders of the unitton breeds. Improve your sheep in regard to ilieir own peculiar characteristics. Make them the bes; of their kind. Do not cross your pure bretl floi-ks of Shropshires witii Oxford ewes or Lincolns ; and above all do o iio s them witb the American Merino. Livingston County.