The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-07-18

stood as favoring the Saxony or Silesian
type of merinos for this country. /
would recommend a class of merinos oc-
cupying a place between these extremes.
FROM some Of the pure bred fiocks of
Vermont, Ohio or Wisconsin you can
always select strong. vigorous rams, car
rylng no wrinkles Or folds except upon
the neck. and whose wool bears no ex-
cess OF OIL. If we breed our iocks to such
sheep as these we shall soon have a
hardy race peculiar to Montana, and
yielding large feeces Of beautiful. fine
wool that will lose in securing not more
than So or So per cent.
Let me state here that the same rule
should not be adopted for the selection
Of rams for this latitude and that of
southern Colorado and Texas. The
tendency Of our climate is to hold the
oil or yolk in the wool, while the tenn
p%eratuTe of a lower or warmer latitude
causes it to assume a fluid state and to
~evaporate. Hence come the dry, brashy
woods Of western Texas and New Mex
leo. This is a very important matter
for your consideration when making Sc
lectlons from pure-bred eastern focks.
Let the flock owner from Texas and
Colorado take the greasy, wrinkly fell
lows, and leave those for you that have
few or no wrinkles and no excess of
yolk.
In a review Of the wool exhibit at the
International Exposition in Philadel-
phia, in 1876, [ find the following: 1.-THE
distinctive character of the sheep hus-
bandry of Vermont is the breeding of
merino sheep, and especially Of rams for
expectation to other states and abroad.
The influence of Jarvis & Hammond,
and Of the choice fiocks Of the purest
Spanish races introduced by the former,
is felt throughout the state. The obiec-
ton has been made to the Vermont me-
rinos that, with the object of obtaining
heavy heeces, there has been an undue
development Of yolk. They are breed
ing so as to destroy the wrinkles former
~ SO popular as indicating a pure blood,
but really useless, unsightly and incon-
.venient in shearing, to diminish the
quantity Of yolk, and to make a hardy
animal, fitted specially for regenerating
the flocks kept in a state of exposure in
Colorado and Californian The review
from which the above is an extract, was
by the Hon. John Il. Hayes, secretary
of the national association of wool man
ufacturers, to whom, To- than to any
other living man we are indebted for
the maintenance and growth of u
wool and wooden industries. If such
sheep as are referred to ia the above ex-
tract were found necessary for the sue
cess of the merino sheep industry in
Colorado and California, there certainly
can be no question as u tanolI fitness tful.
the merino fiocks Of Montana.
MerinO sheep have their peculiar char
acteristics or qualities derived from the
climate or country where they are found.
In becoming thoroughly acclimated in
a particular country, or, in other words,
fitted to its special conditions, they lose
to a certain degree their former distinc-
tive features. There is much more sig
nificance than we as wool growers are
apt to consider in the terms "Ohio wool"
"TeXas Wool,O or montana WOOL
They all represent qualities peculiar to
themselves. Many years ago the cele-
brated CASHMERE manufacturer, Edward
Harvie, of Rhode Island, used almost
wholly merino wool from the Cape of
Good Hope, because of its superior felt
ing properties and its smOothness when
made into twisted goods. The manufac-
turers of France and Belgium recognize
peculiar properties in the short, fine
woods from the Argentine Republic,
finding in them q special fitness for the
manufacture of the beautiful fancy cas-
simeres produced in those countries. We
cannot tell just what will be the relative
merit of the merinO wool of Montana
when we shall have produced a race pc
culiar to our mountain country, but the
experienced observer cannot fail to rec
ognize in some of the clips now in the
market of Fort Benton qualities which
must challenge his admiration and con-
vince him Of the pre-eminent fitness Of
this territory for the growth of a superior
quality Of merino wool. [ have thus
briefly given my views as to the type of
merino sheep and the style of wool we
should adept in order that our wool in
dustry may occupy q position unrivaled
on this continent and perhaps in the
world. It is for your interest to investi-
gate thoroughly this all-important sub
iect, and to adopt and recommend such
d policy as may be suggested by your
united Judgment and experience.
In my opinion it will soon be for our
interest to carefully grade and bale Il
wool. BY 50 doing we "a place it on
the market in better condition and have
the satisfaction of knowing how it grades
before III passes UuU VI Jul 11dildS. LII d
very short time also wool can be shipped
from Montana to Boston in compressed
bales for about one half the present
freight tariff. I regard the future of
our sheep industry a exceedingly bright.
It is my belief that Montana will not
only take the lead in the quality of the
wool she sends to market, but that in
quantity she will be second to but one
| state i'm The Union, Measured by the