The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-11-14
SHEEP RAISING IN MONTANA.

The following extract from q letter
written by Mr.. Paris Gibson to the
Pioneer Press will be of general interest
to our readers:
II will devote the remainder of my
letter to the sheep interest Of Montana.
About ten years ago the first flocks of
sheep were driven into this territory,
and as they were found to thrive we'll on
our grasses during winter, others were
driven over the mountains, and Montana
was recognized as a pastoral sheep coun-
try. It has, however, been only within
four years that the special fitness of
Montana as a sheep-raising and wool
growing country has been understood.
Tt is now known that Montana wool
leads all other woods from the western
states and territories. No other wool
SO nearly approaches the Australian in
softness and evenness Of grade in the
same fleece. So popular has Montana
wool become in the eastern markets,
that many buyers in other territories
represent their wool as grown in Mon
tana, the same as -four from Illinois and
Iowa is often branded Minnesota, to in
GREASE its market value. All breeds of
sheep, especially the merinos and
Downs, mature finely here, and attain
a large size. Our well-bred hocks of
grade merinos yield ieeces weighing
six to eight pounds of wool, that Will
not shrink in securing, over 81 to 81 per
cent. I have never seen sheep else
where as fat as the sheep OF this terrific
nv. when properly herded, and this, too,
when they are grazing in docks of 1000
to 5000. In nc pastoral country on this
continent can the sheep business be car
ried on as safely as in Montana. Drouths,
such as prevail often in California and
Texas, and which are so disastrous
to the f1ocks of those states, are un-
known here. The danger which the
sheep-oWner here must guard against is
occasionalvery cold and stormy weather,
commencing in December and continu-
ing through January. This he can al
ways provide against by building sheds
and supplying himself with fifty tons of
hay for each 900 sheep. In California
large flock owners have never been able
to provide means to carry thelr Hocks
through protracted drouths. During
the five years [ have spent here there
has been Ebut one winter in northern
Montana when it was necessary to feed
hay to sheep. That winter, however,
will long be remembered by Montanians
for it's severity. It is we'll known that
wherever sheer oWners during that win
ter were provided with ample shed room
and forty to fifty tons of hay to every
900 sheep, their losses did not exceed
from 8 to s per cent. The losses and the
hardships that were borne by many of
our flock owners during the winter re-
ferred to (1860-81) are now very carefully
guarded against by those engaged in the
business. With she natural increase of
our fiocks, and the new 1ocks from CAL
ifornia, OREGON and Washington terrific
~, we now have at least SOC, 900 sheep, 4
which will yield the coming June about
5000, 900 pounds of wool. This is con-
siderable wool for a new country, but
the sheep business here is only in its in
fancy. I confidently believe there will
be 10000 900 sheep in Montana before
the end of the present decade. 1t re-
quires a special fitness to manage sheep
here successfully. Many fail at it, and
o feourse, curse sheep and the sheep bus
mess but ambitious young men, of
good habits, and especially those reared
on eastern farms, can make the sheep
business 3 great success in Montana.
Our 1ocks are generally composed of
grade merinOs, halfbloOd and above,
and the. wool of the territory is fast APP
preaching q uniform grade or standard.
AT present wool is shipped east in
sacks the same as wool from Minnesota
and Wisconsin, but o much Of 1t will
be graded and baled to secure the min