Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/254

244 Oregon, closely resembling Australian wools; giving evidence that the state can produce very valuable wool."

This is upon the quality of Merino wool grown in Western Oregon, not more than 180 feet above sea level, eighteen years after the introduction into the Willamette Valley of 20 head of Macarthur's Australian Merinos. This may be a fitting point to record the opinion of two acknowledged experts, not citizens of Oregon, yet serving as judges at Oregon's State Fair, just closed. N. H. Gentry, a prominent cattle breeder of Sedalia, Mo., visited the fair and served as judge of beef cattle and swine. After praising the exhibits of both classes he said:—

"I also saw some fine displays of sheep, and, judging by the remarkably healthy condition of the sheep I should say this must be a good country for sheep. The thrifty appearance of the wool and the good gloss it bore particularly attracted my attention."

Mr. Gentry is, besides being prominent as a stock breeder, a member of the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition Commission, and it is hoped he will revisit Oregon in 1905.

Prof. W. L. Carlyle, of the Chair of Animal Industry at the University of Wisconsin, was judge of dairy cattle, draft horses and sheep at the last Oregon State Fair. In answer to questions of a reporter for the Oregonian, he said:—

The sheep exhibit was a complete surprise to me in its high quality. I think that at none of the eastern state fairs will as good an exhibit of Cotswold sheep be found. The growth of wool was particularly fine, and demonstrated that this country, in so far as wool production is concerned, can not be excelled in the United States. Not a single poor sheep* was shown, though there were four large exhibits. The Shropshire breed was well represented, but the animals were not of such uniformly high character as the Cotswolds. The development of the lambs in this class was noteworthy, as it was in all others. This seems to indicate that Oregon should prove a very formidable rival of