Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-05-20

Der. IneSe 6leep were placed on the LOmpOc,
marked with distinctive mark, and with their
increase have ever since been herded apart from
the grade Hocks. to preserve their putty and en-
able their owners to know with certainty the
actual increase. Result 10 1875, twelve years
later: The lambiug brands Of this breed now
on Rancho San Julian number, by actual count,
1l,l93. The count was made aud entered up
Oh the books by the major domo about two
weeks ago. There are, besides, 5000 yearling
ewes of the same breed on the rancho, making
the whole number Of pure meriuo ewes de-
scended from the parent band, and still living,
IA, l93 An equal number of males raised dur
Jog the same period (part Of which are on
hand, many thousands having been sold, swells
the aggregate increase to twenty eight thous-
and-all from four hundred ewes 10 about
twelve years.
These are results achieved, not predictions or
estimates; not counting chickens before they
are hatched' nor lambs before they were born.
MIR. Dibblee tells ME that the utmost care has
always been taken TO keep the pure stock apart
from the grade, and to give to each and every
animal its own proper distinctive ear-mark; SO
that the above result is one not to be doubted.
The designation of "Meriuo" means pure Me
rlno only; all grades are called stock sheep.
Their merinos now outnumber their stock
sheep. They have here over 5000 head OF
grown Merlnos- probably the largest single
flock Of this breed 10 all California, with her
ten millions of sheep.
INCREASE AND MANAGEMENT.
Their Merlno lambing bands will be increased
by 5000 lambs this month; they are now drop
ping at the rate of several hundred day. 1t
is a pretty sight. The stock lambs of 1875 will
number 1000 or 5000. The whole increase
will be l6,000-atout eighty per cent. -swell-
ing the aggregate to $4,000 head.
Mr.. Dibbee, as manager, has made 1t rule
to never sell Merino eve. His sales of ewes
for breeding purposes have almost Invariably
rno and stock wethers are sold for mutton. BY
steadily pursuing this sagacious policy of spar.
ing the Merlno ewes, he has made it possible
with 10 1862 to show a living Increase Of nearly
nearly thirty thousand by the first of March.
None but pure Meruo rams are used ID any
of the focks. These rams are Of superior
strains Of blood, many Of them having been Sc
ltcted in the East and Canada and brought
around the Horn. Several hundred are sold
yearly to neighboring breeders who come to
the rancho aud select them. The owners re-
serve the right of first choice, and Mr.. Dbl
blee's practiced eye picks out six or seven hun
dred for home use before the selling begins. A
band of 900 is now kept in the Salsipudes
canon. l have just seen them; they are mag
ni6cent-ooking fellows The practical result
Of the skill and care 10 breeding here, exhibit
ed during the last twelve years, has been to
give to all these hocks superior strains Of blood.
ALL whether of pure MeriDo or mixed blood,
are certainly very fine. The stock sheep are
highbred, being from fifteen sixteenths up to
sixty-three sixty tourths pure. They look as
well, and clip as much wool, as the Mernos,
and, without marks, the two classes could not
be told apart even by an expert. The grade
wool brings as much 10 market as the rest.
The average clip of these splendid sheep of
Hollister and the Dibblees is Extraordinary for
such large focks. The average of the spring
clip last year was little over seven pounds and
two-thirds Il. IS exact). The wool sells in San
Francisco at an average price 10 gold of rs
cents for spring and Is ceots for fall, year in
and year out. This is for wool 10 the dirt. "
The price for spring is equivalent to about so
cents pound (greenbackSl for secured wool 10
New York, the shriDkage 10 Merioo wool be-
ing VIGOROUSLY heavy-over forty per cent.
Fall wool is that clipped from the lambs OF the
previous February months old. L be-
lieve the average fall clip is about four pounds
per head.
TIE CLIP AND ITS VALUE.
Both wool and sheep are cash. Mutton
weathers sell Oh the rancho to San Francisco
butchers for SO, 50 25 and So so per head. MIR.
Dibblee informs me that the price has not been
less than So for years. Ewes sell for So IS and
$3.50 per head; rams for $40 per head. All
these values are gold.
The following summary Of actual money yield
of these ranches duriog the last three years is
also made up from the firms books:
10 1872 their wool clip Was 250, 900 lbs, and
brought, at Is cents for fall and 40 cents for
spring, IAN exceptionally high price, SS4,
Their sales sheep reached ll,0l6 head; they
brought $40, 26O. The aggregate sales amount
ed to $l24 635. In 1873 the wool clip was $685.
l3l pounds; it brought S74,S79. About A.
500 head Of sheep were sold, realizing Sac. 4OS.
The aggregate sales amounted to $l23,2S7. 10
1874 the clip was SIG 297 pounds. The spring
clip, 254,l37 pounds, was sold at "a cents,
yielding $6O, 1892 The fall clip was g. l6O
pounds. The account sales OF this clip has not
yet been received at the rancho from San
Francisco; but a. the usual price Of Is cents it
will bring 49, 1924. About $500 head of sheep
nave Uceu sOlu, TeduZluS Soo,5oo. L NC ehtiiS
sales of wool and sheep for 1874 will thus reach
1924 249 lit should be stated here that the
sheep sales last year were exceptionally large.
Upon the sale of the Lompcc raDcho and the
retirement of the flock thrrefrom, an extra sale
of 5000 sheep was made, realizing $4,000
more than iD ordinary years.
Such is the hard money response of the
golden hoof when called upon for cash results.
These results have been realized at a total ex-
pense, including the cost Of improvements and
of from 30,0O0 to $35, 900. They
have not been achieved without effort.
The sheep are kept 10 bands Of from $500
to 1000 each except at laubiug time, when
the ewe-focks are subdvided into bands Of
about $50 each, greater care being then ezer-
cised 10 order to save the lambs. Each band is
10 charge of one herder, who is furnished with
a horse, but provides his own blanket. He is
supplied with grub for himself aud "pison''
tor the pes,terous coyotes, which have to be
watched vigisntly lest they prey upon the