TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 469 



THE FARM AND THE FLOCK. 



(Reprint from "Breeding Shropshires" Chandler. With consent of P. M. 

 and H. A. Chandler, Chariton, Iowa.) 



Farmers are working under different conditions than did their fore- 

 fathers — in many instances the soil has been tilled until it is weakened. 

 The agricultural population realizes more fully than ever before the 

 necessity of restoring strength to worn-out farms, also of keeping up 

 even those that are the most productive. Farmers do not desire to repeat 

 the past folly of continually raising grain and not returning anything to 

 the soil, but are anxious to learn the best solution of this problem. 

 Land is getting higher and higher in price, and not only are owners of 

 deteriorated farms striving to bring theirs up to an average, but those 

 who have the most valuable and richest farms want some means of main- 

 taining this high standard and deriving the necessary profit from a large 

 investment. Therefore the main purpose of the farmer is to increase the 

 productive power of the soil and to raise upon that land what will 

 make the largest net returns. As no soil can be continually farmed for 

 grain, it must be changed to clovers and other grasses, and then comes 

 the question: "What is it that will give the best results in increasing soil 

 fertility and also the largest profits from grasses, both green and in the 

 form of hay?" The fact that many are learning the correct answer to 

 this question is one reason why the sheep business is increasing gener- 

 ally. Their droppings are the richest of known natural fertilizers and 

 are well scattered over the pastures. In addition to this, the flock is 

 the greatest of weed destroyers, and killing such large quantities of nu- 

 merous weeds preserves in the soil that plant food which the weeds 

 would have consumed. So the flock adds strength to the soil in two ways, 

 and the good results from their eating nearly every known weed is in- 

 variably underestimated. No other domestic animal will so completely 

 clear the farm, and at the same time sheep use weeds as food. Apart 

 from preserving soil fertility, the total riddance of weeds adds much to 

 the appearance of land. Farmers, as a whole, have partially learned the 

 value of a flock in this respect, and those who are working to preserve 

 their farms are not scoffed at as they were a few years ago. As more 

 attention is given to the soil, the number of flocks will increase. If sheep 

 consumed as much grain and hay accordingly as other stock, sold for 

 the same market price, and had no wool, flocks would anyway eventually 

 become more numerous on our farms in order to obtain the results just 

 mentioned. But our population must be clothed, and their average wealth 

 is such that good clothes will be purchased — that means large demand 

 for wool, and it is in evidence according to the high price of wool. The 

 strong continual demand will always keep it there, too, just the same as 

 wheat, corn, etc., which the millions of people must have. The wool 

 clip will invariably fully pay for the yearly upkeep of the flock, and no 



