Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1878-05-23
LIV { STOCK.

a CORRESPONDENT of the National Laue
Stock Journal from Wyoming, writes some
very important facts to that paper. The
experience of the sheep-growers of Monta-
ma has proved much the same as those OF
Wyoming, with reference to the lambs, ex-
cept that our sheep men save 100 per cent.
of Merinos, and often from ~ to ~ per
cent. more when breeding long-Wooled
sheep. The care of the Merino for the first
few days after birth is much greater than
than that Of the coarse wool breeds; out
even though this is the case, the average re-
suits show that the former are we'll adapted
to our country. AS to the weight OF the
fleece our wo~ol-growers all pretty well
agree that f1ocks bred to Merinos share the
heaviest. The weights mentioned by the
correspondent are not extra tor Montana,
as our ordinary flocks, generally reach these
figures. AS to the price per pound thus tar
we are unable to say, as, Montana wool has
never been graded, but has been sold in
{. bulk, all realizing about the same price.
Now that we are to have a grading house.
there will be no difficulty in arriving at a
correct conclusion as to which breed is
most profitable for wool, which is our prin-
cipal source of profit. The superiority of
the coarse wool breeds for mutton, is will
lingly conceded. The correspondent says
have had seven years experience in the
business of sheep Saising on the plains, and
have given strict and personal attention to
tl,n ,..;c;,,o- af Ic,O q and finn wnntc both in
my own flocks and in those of others.
find by experience, that the long woods
are harder, stronger, and better feeders,
and from size and strength Of limb, better
adapted to travel through the snow and
paw it away in search Of food than the Me-
rino. They also endure hardship better and
can travel greater distances with less fa-
tigue. AS breeders they are much more
prolific and better mothers, being of a more
gentle nature, and not.so easily frightened
at the approach of either man or dog.
The lambs, when born, are larger and
stronger, being almost invariably up and
sucking a few minutes from the time of
birth, while the lambs from 4Merino ewes
frequently lie for hours before they have
sufficient strength to stand upon their feet /;
and if the weather is at all unpropituous.
become benumbed before they have SUI
ticient strength to rise. or course the
lambs are born in the open air, by the side
of some stream, and are rarely molested.
They are guarded night and day during
this period, which lasts from the 25th of
May to the middle of July.
/ originally used l~ong-Wooled rams for
crossing, but tor the past three years, have
been breeding with the American and
French Merinos. The long woods, howev-
er, proving themselves so much superior in
every respect, | decided to visit Canada last
fall, with the intention of purchasing moth
ing but thoroughbred Lincolns and Cots
wolds, and my increase this year will be
from the above named rams.
The flockmasters of the Laramie plains
are Invariably changing from fine to long
woods and before the expiration of two
years, we shall undoubtedly see the long
woods bred exclusively. The mutton of the
latter is OF a much richer flavor, and the
carcass far exceeds in weight that of the
former, the weight OF a three, and tour-year-
old being estimated to exceed the Merino
from fifty to one hundred pounds per head.
The average increase from Merino ewes
bred to Merino rams is about 60 per cent. {;
that from long wool ewes bred to long wool
rams, so to So per cent. The average yield
of wool per head throughout the plains, for
1877, was between five and six pounds.