Show diminution OF SHEEP DECLINE OF 34 PER pen CENT FROM 1913 18 NOTED ius ha man may y distinct Dl 1101 adaz stages as farm A animal much more ero eco lio mical to feed Steer leads as ecat prepared by the stats depart 1 ment of A heavy decline inthe nur nut of heep has taken claie since 1910 according to the department of at agriculture in that a year afie briber r on I 1 farms arms as aa ascertained by the census was 1 tho the estimate for ja janu nu ary 1 1914 Is ir a decline of 84 per cent from 1913 and of 5 52 2 per cent from 1910 among tho the causba caus os that have contributed tri buted to the diminution of number of sheep la is tho the scarcity of labor required for their care the high of sheep and lambs for slaughter tho the displacement of sheep by expanding dairying deficient pasturage and forage on account of drought destruction by dogs the settlement of range land previously occupied by sheep and the low price ot of wool also the increasing value ot of land the estimates of the department for the number of heep beep on farms farma in the united states on january 1 1914 show a decided decrease as compared with 1913 according tto to the department of agriculture the apparent tendency toward a decline in the number ot of sheep cheep on farms has fe been en noted for or some come time and has caused sheep raising on farms to be referred to as a waning industry A word here concerning the economy of sheep and their place in agricultural practice may not be out of place As a farm animal per se ee the sheep has many distinct advantages the sheep cheep Is it a much more economical animal to teed feed than the steer returning a larger amount of gain per pounds of feed eaten when his capacity to consume roughage Is considered si ol he Is more economical than the hog bog the sheep yields a double return meat at an economical cost and wool as a product byproduct by which will go far toward defraying the cost coat of keep sheep ard ara prolific A farm flock which does not yield at least per cent increase Is very poor indeed A flock of sheep on a farm fart will in time clear it of weeds without without expense to the owner if allowed to range the lanes lanea the stubble fields after grain Is cut and the cornfields after N 1 ar E 5 re av V I 1 good for fop mutton and wool the corn Is full grown As a scavenger sc aven I 1 even a goat Is not more useful than a sheep As meat food animals sheep have never mever been sufficiently appreciated in the united states they are however of very great value they must be classed with hogs and poultry as the most available animals to supply meat for home use on the average farm they aro are readily slaughtered the meat can be kept without difficulty di lit cuts up without waste in sizes which are convenient tor for the average family and the meat Is nutritious wholesome and palatable when properly cooked co blied the healthfulness of the shee sheep p alone gives it front rank as a meat food animal sheep rarely have bosis or other diseases communicable to man the foregoing statements are axiomatic it the sheep industry Is so inviting why do the farmers seem to fo be r g a tendency to curtail sheep ri rising there are probably three principal causes first intestinal parasites principally stomach worms cause serious losses in farm arm locks flocks over oer the whole country and almost entire lamb amps aro sometimes exterminated in no farming sections sec tlona are sheep iree ree from this danger and no breed of r sheep heep la Is immune although some breeds the averinos Ale for example aber less sus sils than others no infallible cure for stor stomach worms is known but it la is possible to control them economically no tio by keeping the lambs away from the ewes except when nursing and by a sy of pasture ro rotation Cation unless a farmer is willing to take precautions in the management of the flock cock ho he should not raise sheep second cur dogs are almost as 94 41 a hindrance to the sheep cheep industry as parasites the only protection against them Is 16 to keep the lock flock dur is ifs R ing the day where it can calf be watched yand rid to put it into a pi re at night an authentic case has J recently been reported from michigan where a flock of more than head were all run to death in cine one night by 1 two cut cur dogs dog tight night folds acan be built of woven wire 1 dt at am email all expense pense third abid farmers arme ro have not generally recognized the proper place of the sheep in agriculture in the settled regions too much importance Is placed on wool except on the ranse range A land la cheep cheap the wool should 1 skit bt re regarded carded as an incidental do llie to help defray tho cost of ban adling lia ising sheep cheep for wool alon does not pay on barma tarma and the at tempts of farmers to make it ply pay it undoubtedly largely responsible 10 toi tho the prevailing opinion that sheep aro are not lot profitable on expensive land sheep me are raised in it england on some of 0 the roost most expensive land in tho the kingdom but they aro ral raised sedas as meat animals and no not as aa wool WOOI producers the wool Is a byproduct by product as it should be in jarm farm flocks jf only 25 per cent ot of tho the tanna farms on which there bare are now no sheep should have a flock of not over 25 or 30 ewes managed with reasonable care and protected against dogs riot not only would I 1 farm revenues be materially increased increase but abut a decided step tn in advance would m be taken toward the solution ot of out oui moat meat supply problem decline of hogs on the parm farm although the estimated number ol 01 swindon swano swi neon on farms faring january 1 1914 48 was 13 per cent more onoro than the census number for 1910 the do de clino cline from 1913 was 37 per cent this decline la Is partly accounted tor for bythe extensive prevalence of hog cholera by high priced corn by the deficient production of 1913 1013 because of a so vere long continued and exten extensive siv dro drought tight and because of the high of swine for slaughter Not withstand ing the high price of bogs boga tor fol ter farmers found that they could not profitably feed the high priced corn at the same time tho the price of hogs per hundred pounds was wag high relatively although not as high as corn in this situation hogs were often sent tc market undersized the average size bize of hogs hoga on the farm january 1 hasneuer has never been directly ascertained but it may be corn com the average price per head divided by the average price per hundred pounds as ascertained by this bureau asa result of this operation tho the average weight of a hog on tho farm january 1 1914 was pounds in 1913 it atwan was pounds in 1912 pounds and in 1911 pounds the marketing of low weight hogs which has been frequently commented upon in livestock live stock and commercial papers during the last three years is apparent in the foregoing average avera gk weights which are apparently high because the lighter hogs have been eold off the average value ot of awine on farms per head bead january 1 1914 1014 was 1040 per cent above the average value of january 1 1913 and 14 per cent above that of 1910 in consequence of tho the increased value of swine perl pe head the total value of all swine on farms Is estimated at or a gain of 16 per cent over 1913 and per cent over 1910 the diminution of swine january 1 1914 was more than counterbalanced by the increased price pr head bead of those that were on hand |