340 
New York State Breeders' Association 
Meeting at Buffalo 
Part I. 
The annual meeting of the New York 
State Breeders’ Association aroused un¬ 
usual interest among the live stock men 
on account of the program that had been 
arranged by President Harpending and 
the other member sr>f the executive com¬ 
mittee. Hon. Calvin J. Iluson. former 
Commissioner of Agriculture, addressed 
the convention at its opening meeting and 
discussed the problems believed to confront 
the live stock producers. It was his judg¬ 
ment that prices of feed must of necessity 
go lower, and he was satisfied that the 
equalization would be established grad¬ 
ually. He pointed out that New York 
State is a live stock producing State and 
predicted that future agricultural prac¬ 
tices will involve the keeping of more 
live stock in order that the fertility of the 
soil may be maintained and that the 
splendid markets which prevail on every 
hand might be more generously supplied 
with products grown nearer home. It 
was clear to him that the Eastern farmer, 
especially, had erred in his practice and 
had relied too much upon the Western 
grain grower to supply most of the con¬ 
centrates and an astonishingly large per¬ 
centage of the roughages used in feeding 
his farm animals. Mr. Iluson was op¬ 
timistic as far as returns are concerned, 
to the Eastern farmer who persists in 
breeding and feeding live stock, and felt 
that the release of many soldiers would 
enable the farmer to secure labor in abun¬ 
dance. 
Dr. V. A. Moore said that neerobncil- 
losis in swine was causing enormous losses 
and he was convinced that while the use 
of bacterins was looked upon with dis¬ 
favor by many scientists, he was con¬ 
vinced that this would be the only agency 
of controlling outbreaks. That often losses 
from this source were blamed on cholera, 
hence there ought to be a concerted action 
on the part of veterinarians correctly to 
diagnose the trouble and promptly isolate 
afflicted animals. 
Mr. W. B. Kendall, proprietor of Long 
Branch Farm, in Maine, discussed the 
question of sheep on our Eastern farms. 
It was his belief that the discovery made 
by investigators in the Bureau of Animal 
Industry, at Washington, of a cure for 
the stomach worm was the greatest asset 
to the sheep breeder that had been de¬ 
veloped in a number of years. Previously 
there was no sure cure, and on most 
farms a large percentage of the sheep suf¬ 
fered from this disease, often compelling 
the sheep producer to sell off his entire 
flock and go out of business. If the cop¬ 
per sulphate solution was administered 
three times a year, as recommended, there 
was no doubt in his mind that it would 
protect the flock and reduce the losses to 
a minimum. It had worked wonders in 
his flock of 3.000 head, and he.would not 
think of continuing his sheep farming op¬ 
erations without having access to the use 
of this formula. He felt that a great 
deal of land in the Eastern States is pe¬ 
culiarly adapted to sheep farming on ac¬ 
count of its low value and ability to yield 
pasture peculiarly suited to the wants of 
the sheep. He said that the sheep, above 
all other animals, responds to attention 
and is best suited for harvesting a cash 
Crop from areas not adapted to any other 
usages. Sheep literally gather up the 
fragments on the farm and oftentimes 
keep the spirit of life in their owners. 
Asked whether Cheviots, llampshires 
or Shropshires were just suited for mut¬ 
ton and wool production on Eastern 
farms, he said that at Long Branch Farm 
they had been convinced that the Cheviot 
crosses were especially suited to foraging 
on hilly lands and that the lambs were 
very sturdy and yielded abundantly of 
wool and mutton. Dog laws, in his judg¬ 
ment, were absolutely necessary in order 
that the farmers’ flock might be amply 
protected against the ravages of these 
beasts. In his own instance, he posted 
placards reading as follows: 
: I hereby authorize any person to t 
: shoot at sight any dog found ehas- 
: ing or attacking sheep on this farm, : 
: and will pay a liberal reward for : 
: such carcasses. ’ • 
This announcement alone served not 
only as a warning to the owners of dogs, 
but it likewise was an impetus for his 
neighbors to hoip protect his flock, and 
losses from predatory animals in his case 
had been very slight. He seemed greatly 
encouraged in his sheep farming opera¬ 
tions and felt satisfied that the price of 
wool and mutton would warrant any 
farmer with experience in sheep produc¬ 
tion to establish a flock, even under the 
rather extraordinary conditions and prices 
that prevail at this time. 
F. It. Marshall, in charge of sheep and 
goat investigation work in the depart¬ 
ment at Washington, pointed out that it 
was generally admitted that there was a. 
shortage of wool in every country, and 
that while the War Industries Board 
controlled at least 70 per cent of the 
available supply in this country, it was 
doubtful if the demands of the manufac¬ 
turer for raw wool could be met, indicat¬ 
ing that even with an increased produc¬ 
tion of 14 per cent, less than two-thirds 
of the normal stocks of wool, would be 
available by the end of 1020. Thus he 
felt that farmers generally should turn 
to sheep farming, since there was no new 
section of country especially adapted for 
extensive wool production; that Austra¬ 
lia RURAL NEW-YORKER 
lia had nearly reached its limit in the 
way of new grazing land ; in that country 
they were venturing into dry territory 
with their flock's, owing to the fact that 
the rapid increase in population had stim¬ 
ulated milk production, and that dairy 
cattle were replacing sheep on the higher- 
priced land. Previously it. was possible 
for the Australian farmer to keep three 
sheep to the acre and that now in the 
new areas he found it impossible to main¬ 
tain more than one sheep to three acres. 
Wool and mutton production in South 
America is also qn the decrease, and our 
Western ranches have reached their limit 
since land is being taken away from them 
almost every day and turned into home¬ 
steads or us<*d for more intensive prac¬ 
tices of farming. It was his judgment 
that our extra wool supply must come 
from the small farmers’ flocks rather than 
from any extension of sheep growing un¬ 
der the ranch system. lie pointed out 
that as far as type and system are con¬ 
cerned, there was a growing tendency to¬ 
wards the selection of a type that would 
produce both wool and mutton ; that there 
was a growing shortage of fine wool sheep, 
and that even in New Zealand. Australia 
and South America, practically all of the 
flock-masters were turning to grade sheep 
of the 50-50 type rather than continuing 
v ith the Merino, indicating that, after all, 
wool alone has not proved as profitable as 
wool and lambs in combination. As to 
the profits of wool, he was convinced that 
the trend of the market was downward, 
yet the British issue prices would sta¬ 
bilize the market and the War Industries 
Board would not permit the unloading of 
such amounts of wool as might deplete 
the market and flounder the prices. 
As to whether Eastern breeders should 
rely upon Western ewes for breeding pur¬ 
poses or cull freely from their own flock 
and retain the promising ewes to estab¬ 
lish a breeding flock, was still an open 
question, yet there appeared to be a num¬ 
ber of disadvantages in using the Western 
ewes. He said-that the Department had 
discovered the copper sulphate solution as 
a controlling agepey for the stomach worm 
and fAlt sure that much good resulted 
from the use of this remedy. 
He contended, however, that it was a 
remedy ; that prevention was quite as es¬ 
sential as any treatment and that the 
early lambs, February or March, could 
be inured to the best advantage, and were 
more resistant to the affliction. With 
dog laws with “teeth” and a number of 
sheep growers in each locality, it would 
seem that ample protection would be af¬ 
forded. The stomach worm remedy is as 
follows: 
Use clear blue crystals of copper sul¬ 
phate (Milestone). Crush to a fine pow¬ 
der when ready to make up the solution. 
Dissolve one-fourth pound of the pow¬ 
dered crystals in one pint of boiling water, 
using a porcelain or enamelware dish, as 
the Milestone will corrode most metals. 
Then add enough cold water to make the 
solution up to three gallons, using wooden, 
earthenware or other non-metallic recep¬ 
tacles. This will make an approximate 
one per cent solution and will be enough 
to dose 100 adult sheep, allowing for about 
a 10 per cent waste. 
The amounts of the dosage for both old 
sheep and lambs are: For lambs under 
one year of age, 1% ounces (50ec) ; for 
sheep past one year old, 3 J /£ ounces 
(lOOcc). 
The drenching apparatus consists of a 
small, strong, rubber tube, about three 
feet, long and three-eighths of an inch in 
diameter, a hard rubber, porcelain or 
enamel-ware funnel, which is fastened to 
one end of the tube, and a brass mouth¬ 
piece three-eighths of an inch- in diam¬ 
eter and nine inches long, fastened to the 
other end of the tube. Customarily the 
treatment is given after the sheep have 
been starved over night, but apparently 
- may be given with equally good results 
without preliminary fasting, provided the 
’ February 22, 1910 
animals are not gorged with feed or water 
when treated. 
While being drenched the sheep shouldj 
remain on all four legs with its head held< 
horizontally. This is important, for if 
the head is held above tin* horizontal 
(nose higher than the eyes) there is dan¬ 
ger of some of the fluid passing into the 
lungs, thereby causing pneumonia and al¬ 
most certain death. Measure the amount 
of the dose in the measuring glass and 
then after the drenching tube is in posi¬ 
tion, pour the dose slowly into the fun¬ 
nel. The metal mouthpiece of the drench¬ 
ing tube should be placed between the 
jaws in the space between the teeth at 
the side of the mouth and directed back¬ 
ward, but should hot reach farther than 
the base of the tongue. In order to pre¬ 
vent the sheep from stopping up the end 
of the mouthpiece with its tongue and 
thus interfering with the flow of the 
liquid, the person holding the mouthpiece 
in the sheep’s mouth should give it a ro¬ 
tary motion. This will tend to keep the 
sheep swallowing, prevent plugging of the 
tube and also tend to obviate the danger 
of the fluid’s entering the lungs. The 
fluid should not be administered more rap¬ 
idly than the sheep can comfortably swal¬ 
low. »• O. M. 
Corn, .$2.25 bu.; oats, $1; wheat. $2.30; 
hay, $30 ton; milk, 40c gal. paid by 
dairymen to retail 10c qt; butter. 7;>c lb.; 
eggs. 80c; beef, 8-9-10c on foot (sold in 
quarters, 20c to 22c) ; chickens, 32c. paid 
by stores to retail; pork, 20c on foot, 
dressed, 25c. Most of the farmers around 
here are in the milk business, either re¬ 
tailing it themselves, or selling to dealers. 
There is a first-class market close at 
home, as Donora and Monessen are close 
by (big steel works), and coal mines nil 
around. By all reports the wheat is look¬ 
ing well, but very little snow so far this 
Winter. January very mild, almost like 
Spring. 
Fayette Co., Ta. F. N. 
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