The St. Johns herald., 1898-01-22
GOVERNOR OTERO.
The Prospects Ot the Sheep and
 Wool Industries.

The following article is from recent
 issue of The Wool Record, the recog-
 nlzed organ of the wool and sheep in
 terests of thls country. As the condi-
 tions and prospects of the sheep and
 wool industries of Apache county are
 nearly identical with those of New
 Mexico, the annual report of Governor Otero on this subject will prove as in teresting to our readers as 1t was to the citizens of his own territory.
 Governor Otero, of New Mexico, in his last annual report, devo es considerable space to the wool industry and sets forth the great advant ages for it's development in his territory.
 He has evidently made thorough and careful study of the subject, and his report will no doubt be of great advantage to New Mexico far mers as well as the sheep men of other states.
 After deducting from the 100000 acres all told, the 3,00O,oO1 under cultivation the S.O00GO0 of land grants, and the estimated millions of mountains not fiji for gra ing, the territory con tains mot less than 55,OOO.OOO acres peculiarly adapted to sheep paSturage''- so peculiarly adapted in fact, that ''it is estimated that two sheep can be supported on each acre of land; so tRe public lands of New Mexico can support I10,C0o GOO, or enough to easily supply all wool consumed in the United States, estimat-d at 651 000o 600 pounds
 Instead of finding any such number a> this n the territory. there aIe at most but 100000 all though tb- U-. eert rear las been tlc most tJ- vorable 10 the sheep industry ever known. An C innate places the lamb crop at 9S per cent of the ewes. and 8 eco Ot0 of the number are ewes which may be safely relied on to produce next year coo, 900 lambs or 66 2-3 per cent
 It appears that 'the people of New Mexico are unsurpassed in the management of sheep herds. and that $ to say that the sheep men are de- scendants of the original Spanish american stock. who for hundreds of years have had no no other business than that of sheep raising The sheep are run in f1ocks of from 5000 to 5000" Each flock requires three men, or two men and one boy. and two or three dogs while an owner having number of locks needs an overseer to each group of three foeks
 The outfit for each flock includes q camp kit, a supply of provisions and donkey to carry all. This is beeause"the sheep are gIazed from place to place within the range "The dogs and men constantly remain with the sheep the whole year"
 on figuring it out it appears that the ''the cost of caring for flock of 4OOO for year is SIS per month for each of the two men and S10 for boy | or $4OO per year their ratlons and that of the | fogs. part of which is mutton from the focks, | cost SIP per month each, or $432 extra men to | attend lambing one month l5 shearers at three | cents fleece, $12O; other incidental expenses S21S, or $1, 400 per flock of 4OO0, 30 cents per head.'
 The return f om the flock is estimated at five | pounds per head-2OOOO pounds of wool which, at the present price, IA cents" gives $2 500 cash return from the flock, or profit of $1,4CO clear money.
 Sheep "are now selling at from $1 75 to g head in New Mexico" so an outside estimate of the capital investe in the sheep is $S, 900
 However, not all the profit in the sheep is | found in the sales of wool, for the governor est l mates that while the flock would lose through | astrays, killed by coyotes and other causes 205 head a year, the increase from lambs would be l 1000, or a net increase of 1,S00 head These ! would include both ewes and wethers, the weth- CTS being of small value, but the cash value of f-.. -- world ryopc3 tba profit Ou the sale Of