1905.] DECLINE OF SHEEP INDUSTRY IN CONNECTICUT. 37 



Those of you who listened to the very fine explanation of 

 the causes for the condition of agriculture during the past 

 twenty or thirty years in our State, as made by President 

 Luther in his exceedingly able address this morning, will dis- 

 cern a possible disagreement between Dr. Luther and myself 

 in regard to the causes of that decline in Connecticut. Dr. 

 Luther disagrees with me in so far as the influence which he 

 placed upon the war and the return of the troops from the 

 south developed a spirit of restlessness, he dating the decline 

 of agriculture in New England, or in Connecticut, at the time 

 immediately following the civil war. His date and mine sub- 

 stantially agree in time, but I believe man, ever since his exist- 

 ence, has been restless, and has been prone to wander and seek 

 new fields and new territories, and that is rather more due to 

 the tremendous railroad development which ensued shortly 

 after the war, and which, of course, greatly increased the facili- 

 ties for getting away. I believe that distinction should be 

 made. 



Hence, under these conditions, with cheap land and the best 

 markets in the country at our doors, there can be no doubt but 

 that the time has arrived when sheep industry can again be 

 profitably undertaken in our State. 



It is exceedingly interesting to observe, in passing, that 

 these two exciting causes of the decline of sheep husbandry, 

 namely, the growth of manufacturing, of transportation, have 

 eventually done much to produce conditions favorable to its 

 reestablishment, although on a different basis. Formerly wool 

 was the primary object, the meat having been of secondary 

 importance. Now meat is the primary consideration, with 

 wool as a by-product. 



One great obstacle is offered to this development, namely, 

 dogs. As sheep husbandry declined, and sheep, relatively 

 speaking, became extinct in this State, few years were required 

 before the existing generation of dogs did not know what sheep 

 were. This is a perfectly natural result, and not fraught with 

 any particular element of danger, until such time when sheep 

 husbandry might be renewed as at present. It is not difficult 

 to imagine that under these circumstances, as soon as any 

 given person would proceed to keep sheep, it would simplv be 

 a question of time ere he would be confronted with discourage- 

 ment by the loss and damage following a visit from or an inva- 



