WOOL ( ;K0\V Kits' ASSOCIATIO.V. 243 



Many ix'ojjIc do not iindt istiiiid why at tiiiu's we jd;et a sctuI) in om- 

 thoroiighbri'd ttock of slieei) or 1kt(1 of cattle. That is simply the reason. 

 There is a germ in the blood of the old original stoek which is competent 

 to iTiirodiicc itself. We get (rur uradc wlu'n we conii' witli a Ihoniugh- 

 hred on the original or native stock. If there is anytliing in scientific 

 principles in fertilizing soils to bring them up after deterioration, with 

 the use of pure-bred sires or pine -bred mothers do we not fertilize and 

 bring, up the deteriorated stock l)y tlicse crossesV If this fertilizing of 

 deteriorated stock is good, when we get perfectly pure-bred stock where 

 can we tind any rt-ason for saying it is not profitable to raise thorough- 

 bred stock V Take the old sheep stock of this country, with naked legs 

 and long wool and naked bellies. What liave we made of this stock? 

 From two pounds of wool to ten pounds of wool is what we have mad;'. 

 We did not have the l)est to begin with to make crosses and lireed up. 

 What did we doV If we had short thick wool in one sheep and long. 

 oi»en wool in another we blended the two and got an improvement. If 

 we had a long-legged sheej) and a short-legged sheep we went to blending 

 again, and finally we got something we took pride enough in to breed in 

 line. That is what pedigree is in cattle as well as in sheeit. I think 

 the only true principle to follow in growing wool or growing slii'.']) for 

 profit is to keep in view nniking your crosses as nearly i)ure-bred as 

 possible, and as soon as you (^^n, I should advise you make them all 

 pure-bred. 



Tlie liigii prices tlijit were sin-ured foi- a few lambs raised out of tiie 

 i-cgular season does not ajipiy to tlu- gein-ral market. In discussing these 

 (lueslioiis we discuss them in a l)roa(l sense. We must look into the 

 world's market to get rid of nil our suri)lus mutton and wool. How can we 

 do it most lU'otitably. by raising pure-bred sheej) or ci'ossesV I think by 

 raising the piu'e-bre<l sheep. We must look for a finer and higher grade of 

 wool and a finer and higia r individual all the tinu'. 1 do not see why 

 you can not raise the thoroughlireds as cheaply as you do the grades. 

 Eradicate from your farms as fast as i dssible the grade slieep. 



.Mr. -Mills, I,;igrange: I liave liciMi very much interested in this 

 sub.iect. 1 come fi'om the county that stands second in tliis State in flu- 

 raising of slieep. TJK r>' are two sidi's to tills (piesiion we ar • discussin.g. 

 If .von are lireeding tlioroughiired stock, as a great man.v of you are. and 

 lireeding tiiem principally for the block and for the wool, you have no 

 adxantage over myself. I am using the gr.-ides to the first <-ross for the 

 market, 1 shall explain what 1 mean. If you have a grade flock of ewes 

 and .vou cross on that rto<k a i)ur,'-bred i-am, from them you will get 

 the mutton shec]* we make oiu' inone.v from. In Lagrange coiuit.v that 

 is the grade of s|cc|: we mnkc luoi'e mom y mit of than :iny olh'r stock 

 ill the county. Ill c.iir coii'iiy tliere .ire men who feed and market all 

 llie way from niic {<< cii;lii (.iis i>\' lauibs. If you keep run <>f ilir maiUct 



