Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1917 — Raise More Sheep-Alarmng Shortage of Wool [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Raise More Sheep-Alarmng Shortage of Wool

Robert H. Moulton tells why farmers should give serious attention to production of this valuable live stock-Profits sure to be large for many years-demand exceeds supply

S_l F ALL the wool grown In the United States"lnst year were made into ■ pare, ali-wool cloth,' and ti>e cloth * T were cut and divided equally among ij the men and women of the country, gs tliere would he about 44 square 0 Inches of such cloth allotted to each Hf person ; and if the present decline in 1 J wool production continues for a few years longer there trill not be enough cloth to make a respectable breechcloth per capita. Such was the declaration of a speaker before the recent wool and textile conference, held in Philadelphia. In a short paragraph this sums up, not alone the situation which we as Americans face, but which the whole civilized world is facing. The impending shortage of clothing is at hand. For every 1,000,000 acres of land in the United States in 1900 there were 67 sheep, while today,

with a steadily Increasing demand for wool and mutton, the same area can boast of less than 60 sheep. The decline in numbers during tills riod has amounted to something like 9,000,000 sheep, although our population during the same period has increased 16,000,000 souls. Last season we clipped slightly Over 42,000,000 fleeces, as against 44,000,000 for 1899, or a reduction of 2,000,000 In 15 years. Our population then was calculated to be 75,994,575, whereas it stands today far above the 100,000,000 mark, or a gain of about 26 per cent. In the past 15 years the wool production has decreased 4 per cent, thus leaving a difference between production and in-"

creased population a chasm of 30 per cent dividing it. There are more than 20,000,000 men in Europe under arms, wearing out six times their normal consumption of wool. As the war progresses the available wool of the world is certain to be consumed to the last ounce. Cotton, linen, and other fabrics may be used, but wool will be used as long as it is possible to secure it for the fighting forces. But there is no real substitution for this. Cotton may serve the purpose during the summer; for winter campaigning, especially lu Russia and the mountain districts, wool is necessary. Aside from the tremendous demand for wool for warriors, which has been responsible for the present shortage, and which has brought the wool shortage down to hand-and-mouth proposition, there is a shortage in production. Australia, chief among wool-producing countries, is nearly 40 per cent short of her normal sheep supply _he-_ cause of a drought that killed sheep by the tens of thousands. But this, country still has twice as many sheep as we have in the United States. People living in regions demanding woolens

also reside In the greatest sheep-raising zones. In fact, sheep are raised In every region where wool is in demand, save in the polar regions. It is natural that the woolen industry should spring up in primitive communities and among people who are too poor to afford purchased material for clothing. Therefore, wool growing and manufacturing ns an industry has a place in practically all countries. As a country increases in population. however, the lands must bq utilized for intensive agricultural purposes and the. range for sheep is reduced in more recent years as a consequence. In our own West this is very apparent. The wool-growing Industry in Europe and America has not kept pace with that in newer countries. Nearly one-half of the world’s present commercial supply of wool is produced in Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. Notwithstanding the fact that the production in the Uuit--ed States is not increasing materially, wool is produced in every state-of the Union. The varied and wide adaptation of sheep in the United States is one of the promising features of the future, if farmers will but appreciate the wonderful sea-

tures of these historic animals. Not only are-wool values certain to increase* hut maintain a steady and heavy market demand from all sides for a generation to come. The reasons are very apparent, namely: First, the wool-using population of the world has of late increased more rapidly than wool production. Second, wool’s greatest competitor, cotton, has been in short supply relatively dearer than wool, especially coarse wool. Third, employment at high wages has been so plentiful that »he masses have been In a position to buy clothes, and clothes made mostly of wool instead of cotton and shoddy. There aye nearly 50,000,000 fewer sheep in l ' the world today than 15 years ago, and more than 100,000,000 more people

demanding wool. In the consumption of wool the United States is far and away in advance of either of tl# other great nations, for although somewhat behind the United - Kingdom in the quantity required for her factories, all that is hprf> la rpfnlnpfl for ClothjQS — other uses of our people, and, in addition, vast quantities of woolen fabrics are imported from abroad. A large percentage of the wool consumed in the factories of other countries is manufactured for export and sold for use beyond their borders, giving the United States pre-emi-nence as a wool-consuming nation. The Mercado Central de Frutos, located at Buenos Aires, Is the largest wool market in the world. This port and Bahia Blanca, the great. southern Argentina port, handles practically all the wool grown in the republic. At shearing season wool arrives on ships and trains. In 1873 the world’s sheep population was something like 400.000,000 sheep, whereas today the number is approximately 630,000,000, of which Argentina has about one-sixth, being exceeded in numbers only by Australia, which has 83,000,000 to Argentina’s 80.000,0Q0. The United States has something like 55.000,000 sheep, Asiatic Russia 30.000.000 and Great Britain and Ireland about 25,000,000. South America, all told, has more than 100.000,000 sheep, of which two-thirds are in Argentina. There are ten sheep to every man, woman and child, or an average of 50 sheep per family. Western Canada is coming to be a great sheep "country, and here, where millions of acres of grazing land adapted to shbep raising are found, exists one of the finest natural sheep-raising sections close to centers of mutton and wool consumption to be found in the world. Hie part Canada will play in answering the world's demand for woolens is certain to be important in the near future, for farmers have caught the inspiration resulting from steady prices and a heavy demand for meats and wools. Our department of agriculture recently gave out a statement which reveals the real situation in facts and figures. This statement was to the effect that the production of wool in the United States In 1915 was 288,777,900 pounds, as compared with 290,192,000 pounds In 1914, and 296,176,000 in 191$. In other words, while we seefn to have lost little in production as against 1899, we dropped off 7,000,000 pounds In these two years. ' Promotion of Increased production of sheep undodbtedl.v is our great economic problem. One of the paramount features regarding, the present shortage in clothing is due to the universal lack of proper grading and caring for the wool from farm to factory. Although the United States ranks as one of the leading wool-producing countries off the wdrld, thousands off pounds of good wool annually are permitted to go to waste because of the farmer’s slackness in grading;and preparing his clip for the market; The present educational program of the bureau of animal husbandry tends to remove this loss. This means that the amount of wool Imported annually by American manufacturers Is equal to more than one-half of the home-grown clip. Foreign wool growers, Australians in particular, maintain a uniformly high-grade standard in the handling of their wools. This care in preparation for market has served to give that country a wool hacked by a reputation that readily insures It full value at the time of selling, to the manufacturer. Our modern agriculture ) needs sheep, more sheep. We need sheep to meet modern practical conditions. Farmers can positively do nothing better than enter sheep breeding with a strain, say, like the Shropshire, which have gained the reputation of being adapted to any sheep-raising region of the continent, and being the “farmer’ssheep, a rent-paying sheep, a tenant’s sheep, a monev-making sheep, wool-producing, muttoncarrying. quick fattening and hardy sheep.” This breed is not only an economical feeder, but, like other Improved breeds, good soil conveyors. They are adapted to the most Intensive system of agriculture. Self-Defense. “Going to takte a vacation this year?” “I guess so. I can’t afford to, but I think I’d better knock off work for a week Just to get rid of the people who insist on asking me when I’in going to, and where I’m going, and if not, why?"