212 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



The man who saves from 90 to 95 per cent of his lambs can 

 not afford to breed grade sheep. His labor is worth too much and 

 his time is too precious. It is as easy to raise a $25.00 lamb as it 

 is a $5.00 lamb, if your foundation stock is right and you give them 

 the proper care. A careless or negligent person would better bread 

 grades, if anything at all, for he has not so much money invested. 



I would not advise every farmer to raise pure bred sheep to 

 sell as breeders, but I would insist that almost every farmer ought 

 to keep a few sheep and use a pure bred sire. One great hin- 

 drance to the pure bred business is that we sell too many inferior 

 animals for breeders. Though the pure bred scrub is better than 

 a grade scrub, neither should be used. With the demand we have 

 for better class of mutton and wool, we can not afford to raise an 

 inferior kind. 



Early maturity and easy fattening qualities are other features 

 in favor of pure breds over grades. The time is at hand when we 

 must pay more attention to our breeding stock. The demand for 

 high-class material is upon us in every department of business. 

 The moneyed classes are eating more mutton than ever before. A 

 superior quality of wool is also demanded. The grade sheep will 

 no longer supply our wants. We must improve our herds or quit 

 the business. 



I feel that we are awakening to a keen sense of the demand 

 for better sheep, and that it is only a matter of time before every 

 flock-master will use a pure bred sire and that many will have pure 

 bred herds. Cross-bred sheep are good for specific purposes, but 

 not proper for breeders. Let our motto be "Purify our herds." 

 By improving our herds we not only elevate our great State in 

 the estimation of the world, but we educate ourselves to a higher 

 appreciation of things that tend to make men good. 



The most energetic and progressive and up-to-date men that 

 we have today in the live stock business are men who have long 

 since quit the scrub. The prosperity of our country depends very 

 largely on the improvement of our farms and herds, and it be- 

 hooves us to use the best breeding stock obtainable. 



I would say in conclusion to any one who is thinking of start- 

 ing in the stock business, to study your own disposition and char- 

 acter, your environments and your capacity for business, and then 

 buy a few of the best of the kind you like, and make it a life-time 

 business if you would attain the greatest success. Read some good 

 sheep paper and keep posted. 



