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

count of their tendency to transmit
their powerful digestive organs ana
ability to produce great quantities OF
flesh or wool, the question next arises as
to what class Of thoroughbreds we shall
use. Here, as far as the wool question
is concerned, we seem to be placed be-
tween two tires-we must have a fine or
medium wool as free from grease as pos
sible, and at the same time must, keep
clear from coarse wool, the kind that is
naturally free from oil. To use coarse
rams to get medium wool or large guam
titles OF wool from the breeding ewes
now in the territory is out OF the cues
ton. To use thoroughbred Merlnos
without getting some grease is also out
of the question. OF the two evils, how
ever-coarse wool or oily fine wool-the
latter without doubt is the lesser. A
| secured pound Of oily wool is in a more
flexible and healthy condition for work
ing into cloth than a dry, brittle wool,
although the latter would lose less in
weight when secured. It is very evil
dent, in the next place, other things be-
ing equal, that the ram that produces a
long staple wool will give us a greater
quantity Of wool and at the same time a
class that must be more in demand by
manufacturers,
We must look then for a Merino ram
having a long staple wool and a wool
comparatively free from grease, and al
SO, I believe-in our cold climate-one
as free from wrinkles as possible; rams
that will shear twenty pounds Of COM
p%aratively light wool and not thirty
pounds and upwards Of wool which,
when the fleece is tied up, is as hard as
n u, N ~ h.11 Hnrn nToJn fhJS nlnffop
of shrinkage presents itself forcibly to
us. In older communities it is we'll I'M
derstood, but with us, where SO many
are young in the business, it is hardly
appreciated in its fullest importance.
Let us take an example by way Of illus
tration:
Forty cents per pound is paid for q
clip of Australian wool which loses so
per cent.-that is, one-half its weight
when secured. Hence it takes two
pounds at 40c to make II pound Of
secured wool, which Of course has cost
soc. Now, soc. per pound is paid for a
clip of Montana wool which we will say
chances to be heavy and shrinks 625 per
cent. in securing, making a secured
pound also cost soc. That is, a differ
ence Of ID per cent. in the amount
of grease would on that account alone
make a difference Of Toe. per pound in
the price that should be paid for the raw
material. Or take the problem in this
way: Two clips of Montana wool 90
to market; 25c. per pound is paid for
each. One shrinks SO per cent. and the
other so per cent. when secured. A
secured pound of the first then would
cost soc. and of the latter 623c. OF course
in such a case the buyer d~iscriminates
against the heavy wool. and will not
pay as much for it for the simple reason
that there is not as much of it. Prices
in this respect must always be determ-
ined by the secured pound. In fact, it
IS not wool until it is secured, it is only
part wool.
On account Of this foreign matter in
wool and the different grades we have,
the relation of buyer and seller is always
a trying one, and particularly so here.
In all branches Of industry the strong
self-interest of each will bias more or less
his Judgment. The article to be sold
naturally looks better to the seller than
it actually is, likewise the article to be
bought will show forth it's defects to the
buyer instantly, in fact they are sought
for as they always will be and should
be.
It should be our study then to market
u wool in such a way that there will
be as little chance for play of judgment
as possible. Our greatest trouble to-day
is to know what we have got ourselves /;
if we knew just how many pounds Of
fine wool, how many of medium, and
how many Of coarse Il clip would di-
vide into when it is graded, and were
posted as to its other qualities, we would
be satisfied to sell at figures offered or
would see way clear to ship to an
eastern market.
A clip of one hundred sacks comes in
to the market and the buyers open at
some n point in each of half a dozen
a small place. 1t might be that the
samples of the wool taken from them
would be a just representation of the lot,
but where the grade is as Uneven as it is
in most every band in Montana to-day
the chances are all against it. Be they
Just samples or not, however, it is not
likely that they will be very even ; some
will be much better than others, and
right there the difficulty in getting JUS
tice to each party arises. The buyer
imagines he is grading the wool and
sees every other fleece going into the
pile worth 18c, and so will offer but 18c
for the clip, while the seller imagines
that none of his wool is worth less than
lsc and sees three-quarters of it going
into the pile worth soc. If it is the buy
er's second, third or fourth season with
us he knows from the returns he receiv-
ed in regard to the grading and securing
in previous years what our clip will run,
and as he has exact figures places us at a
disadvantage in discussing it's merits.
If it is his first year his chances Of be-
1nr dnaniynd IN npn on tr,o on,o1 ~-o
good, as a clip may carry more inferior