Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1880-09-09
Wool Growing In Montana.

: recent number of the Bulletin, a magazin
published under the auspices of the nation,
ASSOCIATION OF wool manufacturers. From
the body of the article, mostly prepared from
reports and letters of accepted authorities or
Inc subject, we take some extracts from s
paper prepared by Mr.. Paris Gibson, of Cho
teau. He says:
A more general view of the resources OF
} Montana for wool growing is contained in
the following letter of Mr.. Paris Gibson,
kindly furnished to US in compliance with
} our particular request. His statement of the
facilities furnished the wool growers of Mon
tana through the navigation of the Missouri
river, is OF special interest.
Montana derives its advantages for pastor
al sheep husbandry from the following:
U From its want of rain throughout the
year, except in May and June, which makes
tne grasses summer-cure, before the frosts of
autumn occur, thus securing them all their
nutriment for winter grazing. % From its
prevailing winds during winter, which keep
a large portion of its grazing lands free from
snow, the most remarkable being the warm
wind from the Japan current in the Pacific
Ocean, called here the Chinook" the intiu-
ence OF which is felt east as far as the mouth
of the Big Horn River, or at longitude 1O7
deg. The frequent occurrence of these
warm currents of a.r renders the accumula-
tlon OF sn' " almost impossible, and contin-
ued cold weather of very short duration.
| (3) From its mountains, foothills and buttes.
and from the generally irregular features of
the country. The whole surface being 10
great extent hilly or broken, and without for
ests or trees except on river bottoms or
rayines, the winds are sure to keep bare at
least half of the grazing land, during the
stormlest winter weather. No equal portion
of country that borders upon this continental
range of mountains affords as much sheen
pasturage as Montana. This is due to the fact
that, as you 60 north, the hills and mountains
are less lofty, with consequently more gentle
declivities, thus adding immensely to the area
of pasturage. Probably in no other country
can so rich growth of grass be found upon |
the mountains and foothills.
There are great variety of grasses, the |
chief of which are the buffalo or gamma |
grass, the bunch grass and blue joint There |
appears to be great variety of these grasses
already enumerated, and they vary very
much in quality and growth, according to
the altitude of the spot upon which they are
found, and the nature of the SOIL
The extreme northern part of Montana is
in every respect equal to the southern por-
ton for sheep grazing, owing to the friendly
Chinook, which tempers the climate ada
cent to the Rocky mountains far to the north
of the 49th parallel.
Montana abounds in streams of water, and
the purest springs are everywhere found
among the hills and ravines.
That Montana produces most superior
quality of wool is due to its excellent grasses,
its pure water and its healthful climate
Many of the diseases incident to sheep hus-
bandry are unknown here, although it re-
quires the same rigorous treatment to eradi-
cate the scab as elsewhere, when once the
flock has taken it.
Much of the increase from the f1ocks of .
California is now being driven to Montana
that State havidg reached its maximum limit I
annually driven from Oregon and Washing
ton Territory, owing to the better profits to {
be derived from the business in Montana.
The navigation of the Missouri River from I
its junction with the Mississippi, nearly 5000
niles, through the heart of Montana, gives
10 sheep-husbandry in this Territory its great
superiority over all other Territories, and all
States west of the Mississippi River. 6
1t is impossible to emphasize this advan- r
age too much. 1t enables the wool grower
lere to ship his own wool in sacks. just as he |,
packs it. and just as it is shipped from Wis T
,onsin or Michigan, while the weol-grower .
n Nevada, Utah, or Wyoming must com s
)ress his wool into the smallest compass 4
,nown in the transportation of wool, or pay I,
ates of freight that are absolutely intolerable.
The Montana wool-grower can ship his =
WOOL to Boston, New York, or Philadelphia at I,
81 so per hundred pounds, because the Mis- n
ouri River connects him with many rival P
rovd rphi fhn IL,
of Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and Il
Washington Territories must pay at least a.
lree times as much to ship their products to Al
be same point.
The completion of the Northern Pacific R.
l. will also do much for the wool-growers in
outhefn Montana, as the competition be-
seen that road and the Utah & Northern a.
ill insure to them advantageous rates. Il
The grade Merino sheep are the kind in Vi
eneral favor here. The compactness of p
eece derived from the Merino stock, when b,
ombined with small percentage of the f.
outhdown or Cotswold type, furnishes coat ir
,r the sheep that is almost impervious to m
'inds and storms, while the body of the N
leep is large and Strong. o,
Although the clip for Montana the present dt
ear will not exceed 1900, 900 lbs, from this ed
me forward the increase will be very rapid. ii,
The most direct route from Fort Benton, Of
le head of navigation on the Missouri river,
, the seaboard, is by steamer to Bismarck,
renee by the Northern Pacific r. r. to nav nc
able water on the Lakes. ca
When, few years hence. the wool grow th
3 of Montana wish to market their wethers tr
the East, they can drive them from the la
ain range of the Rocky mountains, follow \,
% the general course of the Missouri river. W
distance of /, 100 miles, to Bismarck, over ID
country upon every rod of which there is vi