MICHIGAN LIVE STOCK IN 1899 393 



which they handle would grade in any of the fine wool classes. The re- 

 mainder w^oiild grade either as medium or coarse. Formerly there was 

 a considerable difference in the price of the fine and medium wools, and 

 this difference was noticeably in favor of the medium grades. At present 

 we find the sentiment of the market changing. We have an abundance 

 of medium and coarse wools and a great scarcity of fine wools. Those 

 who understand clearly the diftVrence in Merino and coarse W'Ools in their 

 natural state will understand that in buying a pound of Merino wool we 

 are really buying less of wool and more of something else than when a 

 pound of medium wool is purchased; so that if we should buy the wool 

 at the same price in the grease, the medium wool would be worth more 

 per pound after being scoured, which^ as a rule, is true. 



While the past and the present of the wool industry is all very inter- 

 esting and important, yet we are all deeply interested in the future. The 

 question naturally arises, with the conditions stated above, what is the 

 best way out of the difficulty and how can we best manage our flocks to 

 secure the greatest possible net profit. Most men who are Merino en- 

 thusiasts will say unreservedly to get out of mutton sheep as soon as 

 possible and breed nothing but Merinos. While this would seem good 

 advice at first thought, we may wonder what the result would be if such 

 a general course were adopted. It is not hard to see that it w^ould be 

 disastrous in the end. 



While we believe the time has come when sheep owners can very profit- 

 ably devote more careful thought and attention to the wool product of 

 their sheep, yet we fear that the tendency will be to cause a wholesale 

 slaughter among our fine mutton flocks, which can only result in a great 

 financial loss to the sheep men of this country. 



There wall always be a good demand for prime mutton, and we believe 

 that a man who has a nice flock of mutton sheep, which produces from 

 seven to ten pounds of wool per head, would better think seriously before 

 converting his flock into fine wool producing flocks. We are confident 

 that the Merino breeders will see an era of prosperity, yet we think that 

 the breeders of mutton sheep ought to be willing to leave the field for 

 them to conquer, permitting, if you will, the new accessions to sheep 

 husbandry to become breeders of grade Merino sheep. 



Without making any radical changes in breeding or breeds, there is 

 much that might be done to improve the value of our Michigan wool prod- 

 uct. Our Michigan wools can be better grown and better prepared for 

 the market. At present the man who is careless in feeding and who takes 

 no pains to keep dirt and foreign substances out of the wools which he 

 sells receives about as much per pound for his wool as the man who 

 spares no pains or expense in putting his wool on the market in the best 

 possible condition. The farmer who sells wool to the local dealer is in 

 about the same position, or is placed at about the same disadvantage, that 

 the farmer's wife is who has no other market for her butter than the coun- 

 try grocery — not that we have any criticism to offer either on the country 

 grocery or the local wool dealer. The grocerman is forced to pay about 

 so much per pound whether it is butter or soap grease. Those who have 

 had experience know how hard it is to convince Mrs. A. that her butter 

 is not just as good as Mrs. B.'s. The wool dealer finds himself in preciselv 

 the same position. He must pay all farmers producing a certain grade of 

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