438 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Wednesday, February 11. 



The Convention met in the capitol at 8 o'clock in the morning, the Presi- 

 dent in the chair. 



The Secretary presented his annual report, Avliich was as follows: 



Tlie Secretary submits the followin^jj report for tlie past j-ear of the business of the 

 Michigan State Sheep Breeders and Wool Growers' Association: 



Received from 35 members at the meeting held at Marshall, Dec. 19, 1878 $35 00 



In Treasurer's hands at that date 21 00 



$56 00 

 Checks were paid at the meeting at Marshall as follows: 



No. 1, for stamps to D. P. Dewey SI 00 



No. 2j for account of books of record, printing, stationery, etc., audited.. 35 73 



36 73 



$19 27 



This financial statement shows that the treasury is in a perfectly healthy condition, 

 while it indicates that the first annual meeting was an improvement ou the meeting 

 that was held for its organization. 



The Secretary asks leave to direct attention of the Association to the very impor- 

 tant progress which has been made in the business of breeding sheep, and especially 

 the Meriuos. In the Longwools and other breeds of English descent we revert nat- 

 urally to the improved stock which are bred or are the produce of the improved 

 native sheep of that country. But the improvement of the fine wools has created a 

 type of sheep that is exclusively American. We cannot go outside of it to make any 

 improvement. That is the result of development in this country. That development 

 has been so productive of good results that it has been found necessary that breeders 

 should know how and in what direction their efibrts should be directed. This con- 

 sideration brought out amongst the breeders of horses the production of the stud 

 books. In cattle it established the necessity of the herd books. In these Merino 

 sheep it is this necessity which has inaugurated the Vermont Register, and it now 

 seems to call for the extension of that admirable work into a national register, or the 

 establishment of a register that will be national. How and in what manner it shall 

 be done as far as Michigan interests are concerned, it is a part of the work of this 

 association to decide. 



But sheep breeding has received a still greater impetus from the immense con- 

 sumptive demand for wool which has been developing during the year 1879. On 

 January! of that year the financial policy of the government was settled by unex- 

 pected but complete success of the resumption of specie payments. That success, 

 with the low rates of interest on the national bonds, set free an immense amount of 

 capital to seek investment in new enterprises, and in no direction did it work with 

 more energy than amongst the woolen manufacturers. The consumption of wool has 

 created a demand that has advanced prices all over the world, and we see the clip of 

 this year bringing double the prices paid last year. 



Meanwhile the effect has been to set the sheep breeders at work to supply the de- 

 mand for choice slieep that will continue the improvement in size and qualities in 

 fleece which has marked the progress in breeding originated by the Richs, the 

 Atwoods, the Hammonds, and other distinguished breeders of the past generation, 

 and this Association is, as I believe, met for that purpose. 



There were present at this session, the distinguished breeders L. P. Clark, 

 Vermont, E. E. Townsend, of ]New York, and Mr. Edwards, of Montana. 

 Mr. Edwards made an address descriptive of the husbandry of Montana and 

 its advantages for sheep-breeding. He had been formerly a resident of Mich- 

 igan. He said the finest grasses for pastures grew there and were more lasting 

 throughout the season than in the wilderness farther southward. The w\ater 

 was of the finest quality, and timber was found quite abundant. The Mis- 

 souri river secures it from railroad monopolies. With tiiese natural advanta- 

 ges it has another which cannot be too much esteemed, and that is, it has a 

 climate quite free from malarial diseases. Its territories are splendid for 

 stock feeding, and a large supply of live stock is now sent to Chicago. "We 



