The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-07-16
w ednesday, July IS, 1884.

not uaul Ills peltS 10 lOWu Ou u COUP vi
lodge poles drawn by q pony; he does
not pile them up until he has ID stack as
high as his rifle is long, and then trade
the lot off for a string OF glas. beads. He
is not panning out fortune every
month from a rich placea, as in the olden
days; and We can say to the old-time
element, be it laborer or merchant, that
it must adapt itself to the new condition
of things Or it will get left in the strug
gle with the competing element lately
developed among the railroad towns of
the territory.
The scab question is still an irritating
and burning issue with us. IN conver-
sation with wool-grower lately from
Washington territory, [ find that the
law which we have copied from the sta
tutes of that terrltoey failed there in the
same way that it has failed here. The
duties OF the inspectors We're SO irksome
| and their compensation SO small, that
| they did not strive to enforce the law,
| while those who were driving sheep Or
had diseased bands, We're glad enough to
| be left alone. The law there now re-
quires the inspector to visit and exam
inc every band of sheep in his district
at stated periods-say once or twice
year. Ii the sheep are clean he issues
certificate to the owner to that effect; ii
diseased, he sees to it that the owner
proceeds to clean them. For each of
these regular inspections he receives
from the owner IL tee, which pays him
well, as he can usually visit ii number
of bands in a single day. AS it is gen.
orally known in community whose
sheep are clean and whose are not,
there would be little trouble on the
part OF the inspectors in finding the
disease in those places where he ex-
pected to find it, and would look espec-
tally for it.
BY the law now in force in Wash
ington no diseased sheep can be mov
ed under any circumstances. They
must be cured where they are before
they are allowed to leave the range.
The president then read the following
ADDRESS.
It being a part of the presidents duty
to address the wool growers at their an
nual meeting, [ will only call your at
tention to some of the wants OF handling
sheep on the ranges. We have not ar
rived at that perfection which at all
times makes sheep raising profitable nor
as remunerative generally as might be-
We want men of more practical exper-
ience, men of nerve and caution and a
better knowledge Of the condition, SO
that when we look at our herds we will
know what is lacking whether the |
herder is doing his duty or not; to know
whether the sheep need change OF
range Or herder; to be able to detect
from the movements Of the sheep the
manner in which they have been han
died. We will not reach the standard
of good, profitable sheep husbandry un-
til these things are understood in detail.
Upon the careful handling of our
herds, or upon the herders, depends our
success-our profit and loss. The condi-
ton of the herd is the indicator. OBJ
serve the indicator and see whether it
points to profit or loss. IT your herder
does not understand his business, in
struct him. Give him to understand
that he is to do the herding, and that he
is not there to make the dog do the
work.
After shearing dip your sheep, if they
need it. They need tiff they have ticks,
Or scab, or have been exposed to scab.
I would advise men to dip if the skin is
not clean and soft 1t opens up the
pores, cleanses the skin and leav es it in
healthy condition. Move your sheep
on some good, fresh range as often as
the grass becomes dusty and tramped
down. Visit your herds often. See
and give them time to go through the
gate Use your dog as little as possible.
In October, if you have more than one
herd, Gull out all old ewes and small
lambs, scrubs, etc., and put them on the
best feed possible. Protect them from
rain and snow by brush or shed. If you
have enough run them at your best
ranch; feed them early; better to have
them in fair condition the first of March
without hay than to have them poor
with hay, as hay will not save poor
old eve in March. If you do not have
enough to take care of and make it pay,
sell them to some energetic fellow and
take his note. He will make it pay and
pay you. If he does not you have lost
only your natural loss, which would
have occurred if you had not cut them
out. IF you have poor eve in the fall
and you can't dispose of her or give her
proper attention, cut her throat and put |
her pelt on the fence. By SO doing you |
save her from misery and saveyour hay. |
what they should be. They should be |
made warmer and then ventilated ac-
cording to weather. 1t would be much |
better if they were of an even tempera-
ture. Then if your sheep were poor
they would not crowd to the warm part
and smother There is no danger of |
fat sheep smothering; but poor ones will
pile up if your corral is not of the same
temperature throughout.
In putting up hay, if it is convenient
put your best hay where you can get it
to feed the hospital band. 1t is a rare
thing that the main bands get hay or
need it. think after culling my herd
in the fall / can winter it where cattle
or horses will winter without feed.
Put your bucks in from the 1st to the