1907.] DISCUSSION. 259 



of Connecticut. The economical conditions today are entirely 

 different from what they were a few years ago, and the suc- 

 cess of any agricultural enterprise in the state today rests 

 largely upon the ability or inability of the individual to prop- 

 erly gauge the trend of affairs, and the question of whether 

 sheep husbandry will be successful in Connecticut again is 

 simply one of whether it fills the requirements of the existing 

 situation. The crying problem of agriculture today is the 

 question of labor, and that taken in connection with the in- 

 creased price obtained for wool, and for mutton, and the ex- 

 cellent home market, are largely the factors by which we will 

 have to be governed. Nobody can hesitate very long as to 

 the advisability of going into the sheep raising industry, if 

 we are to accept the conclusions of Mr. Ward. I will not 

 enter into the question of the special care of sheep or anything 

 of that sort. That ground has been very well covered. But 

 the message fhat we want to carry home, or send home to the 

 Connecticut agriculturist is the conviction that the economical 

 conditions existing in Connecticut today are again favorable 

 for a profitable entry into sheep husbandry in this State. 

 Bear in mind that thing, just that thing, stripped of all other 

 factors. That is the important thing to dwell upon. If you 

 have analyzed and traced this out to your satisfaction, and 

 are convinced that that is a correct conclusion, then we are 

 ready to see what can be done to encourage the industry, and 

 the first thing that we run up against is the dog question. 

 Now I have been president of your association for the last 

 four years. Prior to that time I had rather a superficial in- 

 terest in sheep. Since then I have been actively engaged in 

 the work, and have a flock at present of about three hundred 

 sheep. During that period of four years, largely by virtue of 

 the position which I accepted, the thing I have heard the most 

 about in connection with the raising of sheep has been this 

 everlasting dog question. I have been practically talked to 



