The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-08
Results of Interesting Expert
ments in New Mexico.
IMPROVED BLOOD TELLS
The Current Farmers Bulletin" Issued
by the Department OF Agriculture
Contains Much Valuable Infor~
nation on the Subject.
Washington Bureau of the Standard,
No. 1145 G. street N. w. I

Heoisihs 2H'ep III HAoe'oh al
the current Farmers Bulletin, issued by
the department of agriculture. He saws.
..r. .-,. a.
'eii'ory Yves u the io''h iheii-
dlan' known as the range, is rapidly be-
coming the great breeding ground for
sheen A,raoa,. ,,o,,.,,
'iii' ~ ~
apout ohe-haf of the total number of
sheep in the United States. During the
past few vears sbo.n bava bean ranidlv
oro,,s,u
'he cattle Oh VI 'he iofthefh
portion OF this range territory, and 1t is
quite generally recognized that the range
cattle industry is gradually disappearing.
except In the southern section. While
TINS territory is favorable to the grazing
OF STOCK In large numbers, the natural
conditions will not permit of the produce
ton OF feed to properly fatten and finish
the STOCK grown there. The finishing can
only be done by drawing on the surface
crops or the upper Mississippi valley
states This has been largely practiced
during the past few years, owing to the
shortage of good feeding stock in the
farming sections, the surplus of grain
products and prevailing low prices. On
this account there is a general interest in
the character and feeding value of the
sheep raised on the range.
I'm order to compare the feeding value
of this class of sheep with the native
bred mutton sheep a car load of 252 head
was obtained by the Iowa experiment
station in the fall of 1896. They were es-
pecially selected for the experiment near
Las Cruces, N. NJ, by a prominent firm
OF Chicago commission merchants.
THE range lambs averaged only about
half as much gain per head daily as the
pure bred mutton lambs. This marked
difference is mainly due to the fact that
the Western sheep, reared under semi
aria conditions and scanty vegetation,
have only about one-half as much diges-
tive capacity as our larger breeds. ac-
customed to more liberal feeding In this
experiment the range lambs consumed
more feed dry matter for a pound of
gain than those of mutton breeds. The
ratons were somewhat different. however
and this variation probably accounts for
the larger amount of feed consumed for
a given gain, as their ration consisted
more largely of hay and contained a
larger percentage of indigestible matter.
A lot of 10 northern range-bred lambs
from wyoming was fed in comparison
with the mutton breeds, and it was found
that, while they consumed considerably
less feed than the pure-breds and gained
only an average of 0.S7 of pound per
head daily while the mutton breeds gain
ed an average of o. this gain was made
at the rate of one pound for each 6.s4
pounds of feed consumed, while the av-
erage for the others was one pound for
each 725 pounds of feed consumed: con-
seuuently they produced this gain even a
little more economically than the lambs
of the improved mutton breeds. This re-
suit may seem somewhat contrary to the
generally accepted doctrine concerning
the value of improved blood. principle
of feeding which has been quite clearly
| established is that animals of pure breed
| ing are not capable of rendering much,
if any, higher returns for given amount
of feed than the so-called Scrub or ma
| tive unimproved stock. This matter seems
| to be governed by the powers of digestion
which are not materially modified by ar
| tificial conditions. The chief value OF i'm
| proved blood lies in the capacity of higher
excellence of finished product and cor
| respondingly higher selling Value. SIM.
lar results have also been obtained at
| other experiment stations where feedine
| tests have been carefully conducted.
1T has sometimes been asserted that
some of the native unimproved lambs are
superior for feeding purposes and mutton
| production to the improved mutton oreeds
| This conclusion probably had lts origin IN
the fact that the Mexican ana other types
| of range-bred lambs have at times peen
| quoted as nlgh, ana IN some INSTANCES
| little higher, than any other lambs on the
market This is due to other reasons
| however, and does not JUSTIFY the conclu-
sicr that no advantage results from i'm
| proved breeding. The relatively hgh
price at which range lambs sometimes sell
| is largely due to the fact that they are
| of the desired light weight, and, owing To
the long distance in shipping, they are
we'll shrunken when they reach the mar.
Ike. and kill out a better percentage of net
| meat than would otherwise be the case.
1.-The range lambs that are driven OF
shipped eastward to be finished on grain
feeds are largely divided into two gen.
| eral classes--the northern. coming mainly
from Wyoming and Montana, and the
southern from New Mexico and Arizona
Besides this there are a good many thai
arc annually grazed in Colorado, Idaho
| Utah and other states Large numbers
mainly from southern ranges, are fed an,
| nually in the vicinity of Fort Collins ant
Rocky Ford, Colo, and at New Brighton
| and South St Paul. Mimi, northern rang,
lambs are fed extensively each winter
beine fattened principally upon screen