Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-05
SHEEP FROM MONTANA.
An Excess of 100000 Over Last Years
Shipments.

Ftom the Helena Indepe ndent.
The sheep arriving in st. Paul are, in
large proportion, en- route for other mar
kets. They remain here from sixty TO
ninety days. The men engaged III the
business here OF feeding sheep buy the
stock in Montana. They lease the barns
for their shelter of the stock yards COM
pany. The provender is purchased by the
owners themselves from the mills of Mime
apolis and Duluth, and the hay comes from
the country tributary 10 ST raul AS d
rule, the sheep come in good condition. The
Montana. grasses are rich and nutritious,
and the appearance of the animals indl-
Gates Il thrifty and healthy coEJition. OF
course, when they arrive they go upon an
entirely different diet from that to which
they have been accustomed from their IN
fancy. There is danger, at first, of gorg-
irg. They are gaunt when they come IN,
80 far outward appearances 20. thouSh
healthy and OF wholesome flesh. OCCASION
ally the sheep are delicate in their tastes
for the altered character of nutrlment OF
fered them; but within a week or ten Gays
they take kindly 10 the new Dill VI ldfe
anu do justice to it.
on the other Rand, some are SO pleased
with their new conditions OF living that
they like d beginner on champagne
feast-they can't get enough OF IT. once IN
a while this results in an explosion; the
animal practically kills himself on fast
living. During the first ten days they are
-
are supplied with richer grain. Sheep might
be laid off at ST. Paul for few days, for
instance, after their long journey from the
Montana ranches, and then shipped TO the
Chicago market: but the increased weight
they mad derived while here would evap-
crate before they reached their destina-
ton. That is not regarded as III any sense
fattening. II is simply feeding or StuInnS.
Time. is necessary to effect assimilation OF
food and condensation into flesh. Thus the
feeding for period OF sixty or ninety Gays
becomes contribution to the weight of the
animal, which is, in a certain sense, per-
nanent, and which cannot be appreclably
reduced within a reasonable period of tran
Sit
There are two feeding seasons for sheep
here-the autumn and the spring. AT this
period of the year the autumn supply is
coming forward for feeding and prepara-
ton for the winter market. By the time
this is exhausted the spring lots begin to
arrive. Thus it happens that by June l,
when the clipping season begins. there are
large numbers of sheep right hereabouts
whose winter feeces are clipped by their
owners in transit to market. This provides
an excellent supply of wool and is one ma
terial source Of profit to the feeders at this
station. This industry has increased here
year by year since the establishment of
the yards. local dealer said yesterday
that about $1,000 sheep were shorn here
last spring, and he estimates that the
number will be largely increased during
the coming season. One of the largest
stock yards firms will put in shearing ma
chimes for next years clipping. These ma
chimes OF instruments are something like
improved horse clippers. They are oper-
ated by steam power o. "ie:tr'ciL. Inc
work is accomplished rapidly. The sheep
are shorn with great uniformity and with
out the cutting of the skin and flesh so
often resulting from the hand methods
which, until recently, so generally prevail
ed.
There is no breeding at these feeding sta
tions, and lambs are rarely dropped. The
stock that comes forward consists, for the
most part, of wethers and lambs The
wethers are superior for mutton uses. The
ewes are retained on the ranches until they
are sent to market as an inferior grade
for mutton product.
Only small percentage of the sheep fed
here are sold for local use, probably not
more than Is per cent. The indications
are, at present, that about $4,000 sheep
will be fed here during this season, which
will be something like an excess of 100000
over the last years number, and 1t Is be-
neved that at least 80 per cent more than
last year will be fed at the South St. Paul
station.