Missouri Sheep Breeders* and Feeders' Association. 467 



tility. Land is advancing in price, and not only are the owners 

 of the deteriorated farms anxious to get their farms up to the 

 standard, but the richer farmers want some means of main- 

 taining that standard and to derive the greatest profit from 

 the larger investment. To each and all arises the question, 

 what animal is it that will give the best results in increasing 

 soil fertility and give the largest profit from grasses and other 

 crops that must be rotated in order to better the conditions of 

 the soil? The fact that more farmers of Missouri than of any 

 other states are solving that question is the one reason why 

 the sheep industry of Missouri is gaining over that of her sister 

 states. Sheep transfer the weeds and much otherwise waste 

 material into golden dollars and soil fertility. Their droppings 

 are the richest known natural fertilizer. No other animal will 

 clear a farm, improve the looks and in the same time yield the 

 profit. The value of the flock can scarcely be overestimated. 

 As the wealth of the land increases and the population mul- 

 tiplies, just so will the demand for good wool clothing increase. 



Again, this will make the sheep a much more desired 

 animal. The wool clip usually pays the annual expense of the 

 flock, and no other animal of the farm has a side issue that pays 

 its annual board bill. The lamb crop comes in as a clear profit 

 and is a great return compared with the investment. I noted 

 a comparison of home markets the evening I prepared this 

 article — hogs, $6.85 to $7.75 per hundredweight; cattle, $6 to 

 $8.60 per hundredweight and lambs $7 to $8 per hundredweight. 

 The sheep is the easiest of the three animals to care for, be- 

 sides it has been demonstrated time and again that sheep make 

 the greatest gain from the given amount of feed. So again we 

 would impress you with the fact that Missouri needs a few more of 

 the "golden hoofs." The experience of the foreign countries, 

 with their good flocks rebuilding their soil and increasing their 

 bank stock, should indicate the necessity of the same to the 

 farmers of the "Show-me State," and I believe as our land 

 values approach theirs the absolute necessity of the flock will 

 come more into prominence. 



Quite natural we look to the man with the pure-bred flock 

 as the main factor for assistance in improvement, since he be- 

 comes the founder of new flocks and should be the upbuilder of 

 other flocks. On him other flocks depend for their success or 

 failure. On him we might say the market itself rests. Since 

 quality governs all sales, it behooves him in behalf of his own 



