The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-08-04
EVE AND wErHER.
Something About Flocks and Fleeces.

II
Those Of US who have lived in the States
where sheep are reared and shared recollrc'
the early spring drives 10 .'the wash, where
In some quiet. crystalline pool the flock wa.
Immersed one by one and few days after
shorn, and the feeces are then carefully
packed, tied and conveyed to market or mill.
IL was good days work to shear twenty-five
each sheep being tied by the feet and strap.
ped to the shearing bench while amateur
shearers carefully but awkwardly nipped of
the fiercy covering and Strengthened up with
aching back TO zee the picturesque effect as
eve, lamb or wether was set up on all fours
again and started out for another years gam
bols aud growth.
IL Is little different In Montana Here
| the immersion il in q tank. filed with de.
| coction of tobacco juice or the like to cure
disease, or the flock. If sound, Is driven from
the pasture la.,d, to the huge corral where
professional sh-arers seize Them, whirl them
up in halfsirting posture, make few clips
down the neck from the ear, twist them halt
round, snip two or three times more, take
long slashes down the sides and back, give a
few extra ships on the breast, rump ami ex,
| tremities, toss the sheep on its feet, whip
fleece and tag rapidly together and pitch the
| quickly tied bundle to the packer who dumps
| and tramps them forty or fifty together into
huge sacks which are placed on hay rack
| and trundled away to the depot or storing
| house.
We witnessed something Of this on the
ranch Of Peter Walton, Esd, few evenings
ago Here were five professional shearers
| closing up the last job of the season in Mon
tana. They average 100 sheep per day and
get ten cents for each fleece shorn and are
boarded free by the fockma,ter. Last year
Charles Young sheared 137 sheep In day.
just as an ordinary days work. and will wa
ger he can shear and tie "lSO between sun and
| sun In July" Many of these shrarers are
travelling professionals. They begin shearing
in California in May and about the middle
of June come to Montana where they shear
| until the LIST of August, and then return to
California to make the secon clip In the fall
A the usual price Is ten cents per hal AMI
board, and the average il 100 head per day, IL
will be seen in six or seven months work
counts up to pretty fair pay.
There are 10000 sheep in Deer Lodge
County, ami SOC, 900 in Montana, running In
average focks of 2OOO head. The freces
average about six pounds each, making 81
900 900 pounds of wool. II is selling IN this
county this year at p and % cents, and has
sold at Benton at ~ high a 2i4 cents. Aver.
aging y wool clip of three million pound' at
81 cents It will be seen that about 100000 is
the income Off this years wool clip. About
III cents per fleece Is the average cost for
shearing and packing, the balance going TO
flock owner for feed, care, investment and
profit. aside from the increase.
Montana woods are rated ~ "Territory,"
but in the markets east rank next to the
woods Of Michigan and Ohio, rating from
"fne" to extra medium" and are especially
desirable on account of their strong fibre,
| r .ndering them excellent for mixing with
| other woods for light fabrics. Territory woods
are now selling in Boston at % @ 30 for medi-
um, and Montana woods average about three
cents above this general quotation. SO, ship
RS, who have Rates under five cents, have a
fur margin for handling. n lvances, and risks
| of market. The clip this year has been quite
satisfactory, and the average increase has
probably been sixty per cent In breeding
bands. The flock owners have made money
this year.