Report of Missouri Farmers* Week. 403 



SOME SUGGESTIONS. 



Any association which does not benefit and profit its members cannot live long. 

 By this plan we hope the association will be a benefit and profit to all the members. 



A plan for the mutual protection of the members is successfully used by the 

 Kentucky Sheep Breeders' Association : Any member having sheep killed by dogs will 

 be reimbursed from the treasury of the association at an agreed rate per head. 



By united effort of the sheepmen force enough could be brought to bear on our 

 State Legislature to pass an adequate dog law for the protection of the sheepmen. 

 The association will keep hammering away until such a law is passed. 



For the benefit of the pure-bred sheep breeders and other sheepmen who wish 

 to buy rams or sheep of any kind, a record of the number and kind of sheep each 

 member has for sale will be kept in the secretary's oflfice. By this system members 

 will have an opportunity to exchange sires and dispose of their surplus stuff to the 

 advantage and profit of both buyer and seller. This would be especially valuable to 

 the breeder who would like to purchase an extra good ram, but does not feel justified 

 in doing so, as he could only use him a year or two and would then have to sell him 

 at mutton prices. By keeping a file in the secretary's office, members wishing to 

 exchange rams, it would greatly facilitate members getting together and making 

 exchanges. 



By united effort of the breeders of the various breeds, pressure can be brought 

 to bear on the different National record associations, to give to the Missouri State 

 Fair premium money equal to that given at other state fairs of no greater importance. 

 Also efforts will be made to increase the premium money in the Missouri special 

 classes at the State Fair. 



A movement will be started to establish a "Missouri futurity stake" for the 

 different breeds of importance in this State at the State Fair. This would be of 

 special importance to tlie breeders of pure breeds, as in this way enough premium 

 money could be won to make it worth the while exhibiting. 



The association could carry on advertisement in the leading sheep and agricul- 

 tural papers for the benefit of its members who have bure breds and for sale. This 

 would be of special interest to the breeders with small flocks ; whose flock is not large 

 enough to justify them carrying an advertisement. Inquiries to advertisements 

 coming to the secretary would be answered by sending to such Inquirer a list of the 

 breeders in the association from whom he could obtain the breed of sheep he desired. 



MUTTON PRODUCTION IN MISSOURI. 



(Howard Hackedorn, Department of Animal Husbandry, Missouri College of Agricul- 

 ture. ) 



The center of mutton production is now moving our way in- 

 stead of west, as it has done since the beginning of this country. 

 In colonial times, when the sheep were kept primarily for wool, 

 the New England states and the rougher sections of this country 

 east of the Allegheny mountains were the sheep sections. Nearly 

 every farmer had his flock, for he depended upon it for his cloth- 

 ing. And with emigration westward the people took their flocks 

 with them, and the Ohio and Mississippi valleys became the sheep 

 countries of the day. But with the opening up of the range coun- 

 try, the center of our sheep industry moved west again. But it 

 has gone to the limit in its western course and will slowly return 

 east. 



