674 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PROFESSOR PLUMB ON THE SHEEP SITUATION. 



In Americ3.n Sheep Breeder. 



In an address before the New York State Breeders' Association Prof. 

 Plumb made the following terse remarks on the sheep situation: 



"Sheep business should be considered from a business end. Sheep 

 are money makers when properly handled. For some reason that is 

 difficult to understand the sheep industry in the United States. has declined 

 relatively in alarming proportions. There has been in the last 

 thirty-five years a great falling off in the number of sheep when con- 

 sidered in the ratio formerly maintained as to population. In the early 

 history of this country sheep were very important. They were scat- 

 tered all over the New England hills and gradually extended in other 

 directions. But while the population has materially increased the num- 

 ber of sheep kept has not increased very much, so that in thirty years 

 while the sheep population remains about the same, the human population 

 has more than doubled. In 1870 there was one sheep to every man, 

 woman and child in this country. In 1900 there was only about half a 

 sheep to each of the human population. There has been a decrease in 

 the number of sheep in other countries. 



There is a notable decrease in sheep all over the world. Great Britain 

 has met with, a steady decline during the past five years. The same may 

 be said of New Zealand, Germany and other countries. Australia has 

 only a fraction of the number of sheep raised there five years ago. This 

 is more directly owing to the result of the unprecedented drouth, but it 

 adds to the general story of sheep depreciation. The only country that 

 shows an increase is Argentina and this is owing principally to the 

 frozen export meat trade that they have been industriously building up. 

 The most enlightened and best civilized countries in the world are the 

 countries which consume the largest proportion of domestic meats. Meat 

 consumers are increasing, but the production of sheep again shows a 

 decline when compared with the meat consuming nations and taken in 

 connection with the population. For instance, the population of meat- 

 eating European countries has increased in the last decade about 35 per 

 cent, while the number o* sheep has increased only 20 per cent. 



All this goes to show the possible profits of sheep raising in the near 

 future. There is probably more money made in feeding sheep in propor- 

 tion to the money invested than in any other farm stock. That is, the 

 profit from sheep is greater on each dollar invested than can be realized 

 in any other stock farming operation. Actual reliable records show a 

 per cent of profit that is akin to the "get rich quick" schemes that are 

 occasionally exposed in the daily papers. By actual experience one lot 

 of feeders made a profit of $1.18 per head, or about 42 per cent on the 

 money invested. This was clear profit. I might say here that in direct 

 profit corn and" oats probably are the best feeds. As corn and oats fed 

 together combine to produce the greatest gain in weight, and this of 



