468 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



permanency as a breeder to offer nothing but the best of his 

 production as breeding stock. His culls should go to the 

 butcher regardless of the fact that they are pure bred. In 

 other words, the breeder of registered flocks must work with 

 the other breeders as a unit, as did our forefathers when they 

 threw off their cloak of selfishness or local garb and took on 

 their national garb, realizing as they did that the selfish interest 

 too often destroyed all hope for the betterment of the present 

 and the future condition in general. To the man with the 

 grade flock — be a little more cautious in the selection of the 

 ram you use, since you can breed pounds of wool and mutton 

 as easily as you can feed them. A keen observation of the 

 market demands, and the breeds that supply that demand, 

 means much toward your success or failure as a shepherd. Do 

 not allow some man to place a ram at the head of your flock 

 inferior in quality just because he is registered or eligible, or 

 still worse, because he can be bought for a pittance less money 

 than a good one. It is an acknowledged fact by all breeders 

 of all stock that the best herd or flock headers are cheaper at 

 whatever price. To the nonbreeder of sheep — the oppor- 

 tunity awaits you, make profit out of waste, turn the wrong 

 side of your account book into the right side. As an experi- 

 ment, turn a few of the nooks and crooks of your farm now 

 useless into a few holiday gifts, and thus bring merriment into 

 your home through the energy of a small flock of sheep. 



In conclusion, for that animal, symbol of innocence, sacri- 

 ficed at the altar, that clad our forefathers with the homespun, 

 that utilizes the waste of the farm to a greater profit than any 

 other animal, that replenishes and redeems our soil from past 

 folly, that helps lift the mortgage yet furnishes us the fiber for 

 our best garments, that gives us a better home environment 

 and a higher social standard for the future — let us unite with 

 renewed energy to place Missouri second to none in produc- 

 tion and quality. 



