Why didn't Saruman go to the Shire to take the Ring?

[Gordis]

Saruman had agents in the Shire and was most curious about Gandalf's actions there. Wouldn't he be interested by the memorable Party where Gandalf provided all the fireworks and where the host just disappeared into thin air before the eyes of the assembled 144 hobbits? And the story circulated even in Bree!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Saruman had agents in the Shire and was most curious about Gandalf's actions there. Wouldn't he be interested by the memorable Party where Gandalf provided all the fireworks and where the host just disappeared into thin air before the eyes of the assembled 144 hobbits? And the story circulated even in Bree!

Of course he won't be interested! A Party? Which political, military, scientific importance it should have? Gandalf wants to party, well, he was always lazy and doing stupid things of no importance (remember what Saruman said to Gandalf when he was smoking at the White Council meeting: Everybody is discussing grave matters here and you, Gandalf, are playing with your fire and smoke toys). Saruman would never give an idea what might be important about this, as well as he never understood what might be important about the Shire, even though he suspected there is something. But it just didn't make sense to him, and rightly so: Hobbits could not be made good warriors (or so he would think), there was nothing important in the land (farmers - no natural resources, no iron, no great smiths - cf. what the Dwarves thought about the Hobbits, UT, Quest for Erebor! - no hidden deposits of gold, silver, diamonds or mithril...). Now what should poor Saruman think of all this?

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Now what should poor Saruman think of all this?

That Sauron is WAY better than his crazy colleague...