WOOL GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 425 



intelligpiice and enterprise of the world's inliabitants. Ages since, when man pursued 

 a roviiiij life, or resided in hamlets, the siieej) was considered neces*ary, not only as 

 an iiriicli! of food and raiment, but as a cotnniercial commodit}\ *' Abel was a Iveeper 

 of slieep," and from time immemorial the sheep has been considered an emblem of 

 innocence and purity. Many are the illustrations drawn by sacred and profane 

 writers showino; with what respect and love sheep have been regarded. There is no 

 animal, ilomestic or otiierwise, so great a friend to man, great in its two-fold relatioa 

 of furnisliing food and raiment, and the reward of the possessor is proportioned to 

 its treatment. It is also a friend to the farm by its enmitj' to many of the pests of 

 the field, which it destroys, and a certain number of sheep may be kept on every farm 

 without interfering with otlier stock. It is a fact, patent, that wiiile nearly ali other 

 industries are paralyzed, sheep, whether for mutton, wool, or stock ourposes, are 

 yielding a fair profit on the investment. These facts are awakening a deeper inter- 

 est in sheep raising, and from Maine to Texas men are looking into this matter as 

 never before. 



The millions of uncultivated acres in the great west afford abundant nutritious food 

 for sheep, and to-day thousaiuls of them are being transported to those fertile plains, 

 and to tlie more eastern portion of our domain buyers must look for a supply to meet 

 the requirements of tliis new country. It therefore becomes a matter of the greatest 

 moment to every slieep breeder in Micliigan to be prepared to meet this demand, 

 •whether it be for tlie Merino, the long or middle wool, or the higii giades. Tiius 

 time and expense may be saved, and Michigan be the gainer, both in finances and 

 reputation, 



Tlu-re is, perhaps, no animal which, to breed succes:?fully, requires so much thouglit 

 and study as tiie sheep. Fitted by nature for a double purpose, it is more difficult to 

 produce wliat is desirable and within its capacity tlian in any other animal. While 

 in raising cattle there are many points in regard to form, size, and general adapta- 

 tion wliicli the breeder must bear in mind, similar care must be used in sheep-breed- 

 ing, with the additional responsibility of producing an acceptable covering of the 

 body, in the way of fleece, whicli is a mo-t difficult ta-k, for here combination of 

 quality are necessary to constitute a fleece which will be of suflicient thickness, 

 length, and weight to be profitable to the breeder, and at the same time have the 

 greatest commeicial value. This is a problem which few breeders have solved, which 

 is emphatically true as to the Merino, and I think it also true in producing good 

 specimens of form and fleece in the other classes of sheep. The greatest difficulty 

 lies in obtaining that which is desirable in form, size, and fleece, if we trj' to breed 

 for a long fleece, it is frequently secured by the sacrifice of a heavy one, and vice 

 versa. 



The peculiar relation existing between the body, so far as shape is concerned, and 

 the fleece, is well known to the breeder; but it requires great skill to combine them 

 to the best advantage; hence the need of close attention and a general knowledge of 

 the physiological laws governing. 



it is a fact, admitted by all, that men by combining together can accomplish that 

 which it is impossible for the individual to perform, and iliis, perhaps, is one of the 

 obstacles to successful farming, and also to a greater degree of proficiency in stock- 

 raising. The isolation of men in the same line of business, each following his own 

 plan, regardless of any fixed law or theory, is never productive of the best results. 



Another hindi-ance to the more general improvement in sheep-breeding is the idea 

 that because A, in a neighborhood, has some sheep and is making sales that B has no 

 chance of succeeding in the same business. This is a mistake, fur competition is the 

 surest source of success. As one good act stimulates exertion, so does the production 

 of one good animal stimulate the desire to produce a better one. If an entire neigh- 

 borhood should invest in sheep for breeding purposes a much greater interest would 

 be f(dt in the enterprise, and as a large proportion of success in improvement is due 

 to the male, there is no doubt but much better stock rams would be used than if only 

 one peison was engaged in the enterprise. The great success of breeders of merino 

 sheep in Vermont and New York, the breeders of long or midiUe wools in England, 

 or tlie shorthorn breeders in Kentucky, is due largely to the fact that where so many 

 are engaged in the same pinv-uit they have access to the best stock. Men do not 

 always purchase stock on fii-st examination; usually a comparison is made between 

 flocks and prices of iliflerent individuals. The purchaser always seeks that locality 

 where this can be accomplished at the least expense. It is also true that he will have 

 a. better lot tiom which to select. 



Every thougntlul breeder in Michigan feels the loss of the separation of flocks. 

 The tew fioeks of ihorouglihreils in this State are scattered over so large an area of 

 tenitory that any man searciiing for acar load of rams or ewes for the western market 

 goes direct to Vermont or Xew York, where he can economize lime by quickly pro- 



