The Mena weekly star., 1898-01-26

oming asking about sheep in Arkansas, replied as follows and permitted us to reproduce his letter in our columns: J. c. JOHNSON.
 Baggs, Wyoming.
 DEAR SIR:
 Your esteemed favor of i0thIinst. to hand, inquiring about sheep in this state. take pleasure in giving you all information can, and teel sure that in case you make change from that far off cold country to this mild eli mate, you will never regret it.
 would first call your attention to our close proximity to the best market in the country, viz Kansas .City, itwenty-four hours run from here, and rates very reasonable, 2s cents per 100 pounds on sheep.
 There are many choice locations in Polk county. for sheep ranches from fifteen to forty miles from railroad, and the farther away the better in my judgment. To start a sheep ranch here does not require a great amount of capital; lands suitable for this pur- pose can he bought very reasonable, say, from S3 to $6 per acre. From 160 to 500 acres would form ranches for from 500 to 2,oOO sheep, the out range being practically unlimited Enough feed can be raised on ten acres properly cultivated to carry 200 sheep through the winter; in fact there is no winter here, and almost ali kinds of stock shift for themselves through the year, but this is not the way to make it pay, of course stock left to care for themselves get very poor toward spring and it takes most ot the following summer for them to regain the flesh lost, for want of a little care and some feed.
 Any kind of roughness such as corn fodder, millet. sorvhum, crab grass or best of all a field of rye or wheat sown early in the fall will carry stock of any kind through the winter in fine shape. At present there is scarcely any provision made by the farmers of this country for caring for their stock during the winter months You will ask why is it thus? will answer by saying. that up to the present time, or within year or two. there hasTbeen no inducements offered Sheep and cattle have been so low here that nc one seemed to care whether they pro duced anything or not. l will illus trate by qu ting prevailing prices for up of the country by the Pittsburg X Gulf. cattle sold as follows, calve: S2. 5O@S4; yearlings $5@S6; cows, sra $10: sheep 50c MSl.
 Is it any wonder why the few farm CTS that were here before the railroad failed to make any headway in stocl raising? 1t is different now however Cattle are bringing good prices: calves Ss@Sl2; yearlings Sj2@$15; cows. Sls @s25; sheep, s1 5O@ss 50 per head, ant with proper selection of breeding stock, the prices would compare witt any of the markets farther north, auc especially with regard to sheep. This breeding up would count big. Tn, common Arkansas eve bred to ful blood or high grade Shropshire bucl would give splendid results for early market lambs and improving the herd
 can say from twenty years experi ence with Arkansas sheep that I hay, never seen disease of any kind develop here It is customary among the farm CTS of this country to shear their flock, spring and fall. I can't say if thi, practice is the best or not but thinl the sheep suffer no hardship by losing their coats in the fall. feel perfect ly safe in saying that the sheep indus try will supersede all other stock busi ness in this surrounding country, ant few years hence will see many fine hocks of sheep scattered through these mountains and valleys, bringing ts their owners handsome semi-annua returns that cannot be duplicated ir any other branch of business.
 Yours Truly,
 M. E. PUMPHREY.