News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-09-27
SHEEP RAISING OUT WEST.
WHAT THE SHEEP FARMER HAS TO
CONTEND AGAINST.
The Effect of n Blizzard on n FLOCK OF
Sheep-A Rnnchman's Find and HO"
He Disposed of it.

The limited area Oh nay AduOt CIA
ranches situated away from the main
streams. forbids the securing Of large
quantities of hay, or of sufficient hay to
feed the focks carried on the ranch
through the winter, says Frank W1lke-
son. in a letter to the San. The stacks
are exhausted by feeding the sheep
through the winter storms, and long be-
fore the prairies or hillsides are green.
The home ranges surrounding the cOrrals
have probably been closely cropped by
this time. It becomes necessary to move
the fiOcks to distant and uhgrazed pas
lures. Early in the spring many of the
fiocks are found grazing on the hillsides
or in sunny canyons. Suddenly, and
with but little warning, an Arctic storm
rushes out of the north. The sky be-
comes dark. The mercury falls. The
wind rises. Snow particles fly through
the air. In vain do the herder and his
dogs endeavor to drive the sheep to shell
| ter. They refuse to face the storm.
They become bewildered. They break
for shelter to some canyon where the
precipitous walls break the force OF the
wind. The snow drifting before the
strong wind is scarcely retarded by the
scanty vegetation of the plains or bare
| hills. As it passes over the walls OF the
canyOn if falls into the chasm, where 1t
packs to a great depth. Entire tOcks OF
! Sheep that have taken refuge IN canyons
/ have been deeply covered III these
storms. Sometimes they are all lost.
! Again many are dug out after the storm
| has passed and found uuiniured. Sheep
straw away from the herders during Sc
we're storms. No man can possibly face
! a northern blizzard for any length of
| time and live. Nor can he see what Is
going on among his sheep. The flock
drifts aimlessly over the plains or among
the hills. So dense and vision Obscurmg
is the falling snow that the sheep cannot
| keep track of each other. Frequently
small bands break from the main flock
and wander off unObserved by men or
| dogs. These sheep may weather the
! storm, but they are lost in the maze of
| hills. | know of a case that occurred in
! the latter part of last July. A ranchman
was sitting on 4 wagon tongue, smoking
| his pipe, as is the wont of ranchmen in
| general. He saw $50 fat, unshOn weth-
| ers walk forth from n canyon. They
| were unaccOmpanied by herders or dogs.
They were unmarked. He corralled
! them and promptly sEeared them. Some
one who Is unknown lost $50 sheep.
| These sheep pr badly strayed away from
the main flock during the April blizzard.
The clip of wool was worth about $400,
and the shorn sheep about 800 addi-
tiOnal. They were advertised, and their
owner recovered the wool and sheep?
Not exactly. They were turned into the
flock of the finder. The wool was sold,
and nothing has been said about the
matter
know of flocks of sheep drifting be-
fore a blizzard, sheep that were caught
on the range by a sudden storm, drifting
rapidly down the wind in spite of the eff
forts of men and dogs, to stupidity follow
their leaders into rapid rivers, and the
larger portion of the flock to drown.
The enclosing fences Of cOrrals falling
before the furious storms that ragged o
nights have liberated fOcks of sheep
when their OwLers were soundly sleep
ing, and the next morning when the
herders went to the cOrralS they were
empty. The PROSTATE fence told the
story If the sheep were in good con-
ditiOn, and no river lay across the course
they drifted, they were probably recOv-
cred without serious loss. But if deep
or rapid stream lay athwart their course,
they probably plunged in, blindly fol-
lowing their leaders, and a grand skin
ming bee was the outcome of the blowing
down Oh a fence 1t must be understood
that sheep are the stupidest Of all do
nestle animals, and the most cOwardly.
They are unable to protect themselves or
their young from the attacks of carniv-
orOus animals. They stupidity follow
their leaders to their deaths. They have
to be constantly protected and provided
Tor by their owners.
1t is not the custom in the pastoral
regions of the Pacific railroads to feed
sheep during the winter unless it is alb |
solutely necessary. If they are regu- |
larry fed hay they refuse to pick a sup |
ration Of dried grass on the |
range. They look to the hay stacks for
their food. If the feeding is continued |
until the habit of feeding in the corrals
is fixed, the sheep must be fed until
spring, or serious loss will result.
As the men who are engaged in sheep
breeding or handling become wise
through dearly bought experiences, they
quit breeding sheep, and contine their
operations to handling wethers. know
many men who once bred sheep on
ranges Of high altitude who now refuse
to own a eve. They buy wethers, gen
orally Oregon sheep, fresh from the
TRAIL and feed them generously with hay
the winter. They may hold
these wethers for several seasons, keep
ing them to grow wool. But if the
wethers have been well fed, and are fat
in the spring, they are sold for mutton,
after having been sheared. 1t is a sig
niticant fact that the sheep to supply the
demands of the feeders, who handle
wethers only, are generally driven into
the pastoral region from Oregon or Cali
fOrnia, not enough lambs being grown
on the ranges of high attitudes to sup
ply the demand. It is safe to assert that
30 per centum can be, and is, made on
money invested in young wethers, wisely
selected and bought, if they are properly
handled. It Is also safe to assert that
50 per centum can be easily lost if they
are not skiifulIy handled.
4 few years ago there was craze to
form stock companies IN the West TO
handle sheep. Men of small means
would form company having, say,
$40, 600 capital. The money being paid
in was promptly invested in sheep. The
shares ruled high. Dividends of 10, 50
so per centum were confidently expect
9d. The reports of the managers were
always encouraging. Tt was considered
L favor to sell Il share of this highly
priced stock to a friend. 1t was like
parting with jewel of price. The focks
have been counted this summer. ANY
Eastern man who wants to invest in the
stock of sheep breeding companies can
buy shares mt his own price, at any price.
They are about as valuable as the shares
Of Colorado silver mines.
The business Of h"rIing sheep is the
most monOtOnOHs known. [ can mag !
ne no more mind destroying occupation.
It IS fit only for greasers, men who are
below their dogs IN intelligence 1t is '
seldom an American engages in sheep !
lcrdiug. When hard mp and unable to ,
obtain other work they wisely prefer the
and its mild excitement to
rowling over a desert after a flock of 8
tupid sheep, and they are right. have $
cen sheep herders in Southern Colorado !
it for hours ON a rock or under a sage :
rush looking at Il flock Of sheep, or
lOwlv walking to and fro in the dust {
ising behind the animals as they fed !;
yer the prairie. These men led Il life {
f such irritating monOtOny that a ner- !
Gus American. forced to do the work. s
-ould have swallowed one of the banana
Ike cactUses growing on the plains, in
is mad desire to break the dircful mo-
otOny. G
Sober Second Thoughts. I
TrI1n friends visit no II, ,,rCs,,arit,, ,,,I =