126 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



for Missouri sheep as a means of inducing their exhibition but, 

 owing to the opposition of two members, who contended that "the 

 sheep industry in Missouri is old enough and strong enough to 

 stand on its own bottom," the request was refused. 



When the sixth exhibition by the State Fair opened Septem- 

 ber 30, 1906, there were 290 head of fine sheep on display and not 

 a single Missouri sheep among them. Missouri sheep men to the 

 number of a "baker's dozen" were rounded up on the grounds on 

 October 2 and assembled in a small room in the Live Stock Pavilion 

 where, with the counsel and encouragement of a few of the pro- 

 gressive visiting sheep men from other states, the Missouri Sheep 

 Breeders' Association was organized. With this humble and un- 

 ostentatious beginning the youngster started to grow — by January 

 9, 1907, when a special meeting was held in Columbia during the 

 "Farmers' Week" conventions, its roster had increased to 60 mem- 

 bers. At that meeting a resolution was adopted urging the State 

 Fair Board to establish special classes for Missouri sheep at the 

 1907 exhibition, also one strongly endorsing the Brasfield bill for 

 a dog law, then pending in the legislature, and appointed a legis- 

 lative committee to aid in securing its enactment. The career of 

 that measure is now history. Strong — not to say vindictive — opposi- 

 tion developed early in its consideration, but that opposition served 

 an unintended good purpose. It aroused the sheep men of the State 

 and aligned a large number of them with the State Association. 

 At the end of a long-drawn-out fight the bill was forced to enact- 

 ment but in so badly a multilated condition that its author and tire- 

 less champion could hardly recognize it. But we had grown with- 

 in a short space of six months from the original 13 to 250 mem- 

 bers, each an earnest and enthusiastic advocate of "more and bet- 

 ter sheep for Missouri." 



The force and influence of that motto have wrought marvels 

 for the industry in this State. New flocks have been established 

 in almost every county, scrubs have been replaced with grades and 

 pure breds, and a well informed importer states that of the 3,000 

 breeding sheep imported into the United States from Europe dur- 

 ing the past year, over 300 of them were purchased by Missourians. 



Our State Association grew a pace, and by the opening date 

 of the 7th State Fair, October 5th, numbered 335 members, and 

 when the first annual meeting convened on the fair grounds, Octo- 

 ber 9th, our members had the satisfaction of knowing that the 

 largest and best display of sheep in the history of the fair was on 

 exhibition, among them being Missouri sheep good enough to win 



