Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-19
Great FalIin8 OF In
Sheep and Cattle.

W lNiNlltE HIt'll W. NV AliHl
lSet and the wooden goods
manufacture In past years
this industry has nouiished
to such an extent that the
w. inevitable over stocking has
been the result This year however
the nockmasters have thnncd out their
stock. on account OF heavy losses and
huge shipments to market following
the restriction OF ranges. there are now
Az per cent less sheep on the winter
ranges Of Utah than there We're at the
same time last year. This state Of at-
faire is generally true throughout the
entire northwest
Western sheep went into winter
quarters this year with brighter pros
poets ahead than for several years
past feed is better and more plentiful
and the range viii not be 30 heavily
stocked
While this last condition is largely
due to the heavy losses Of last VIM
ter and spring. 1t is also fact that the
western sheep owner Is no longer will
ing TO take chances on an oVercrowded
range, and this Is as IT should be
When the ranges are orercrowded the
stock herds never come In to the clip
pcrs In good conditions the quality and
quantity of the neeccs are effected, and
then comes the trouble of trailing to
the summer ranges IN their impover-
ished condition.
Altogether the year Just preceding
has not been prosperous one for the
western sheep man, True, better prices
were obtained f0r wool, aud strictly
fat lambs at the river points readily
brought $5.25 and at Chicago $3.50,
while wethers sold as high ms $3.50.
but II must be remembered that this
was for strictly fat stun and the fat
end Of the westerns, this summer was
hardly over 40 per cent--the other end
going TO the feeders at prices hardly
profitable.
There has been no end of talk about
conditions here IN the west, last Feb
ruary and March, when the heaviest
losses were taken. hut after all has been
said these conditions We're not over
estimated. IN Wyoming ana Idaho ~
any number of cases the individual
losses exceeded 80 per cent; i'm Utah
on the west desert the general loss was
Approximately 30 per cent, In nearly
every case these losses occur from
long continued cold weather and In
sufficient feed 80 sustain sheep under
the conditions,
Further loss WIS sustained mt tho
clippers when the weight Of ilceces
fell off two and three pounds under the
weight last year Utah ewes for in
stance generally called I and pound
shearers, hardly averaged this year,
over four and n half pounds Taken
oil nm pypantinY nnlN rpDnfn
cases. the balance this year In the
western sheep and wool industry will
hardly fail To show OH the wrong side
Of the ledger
The west and east deserts in this
state which are used for winter
grounds by 30 per cent of the Utah
sheep, and a large number of ldahos
were never In more attractive con-
dition than this present falli an abund-
ance of feed Is assured, aud the late
snow fall beginning Nov. 10 and still
continuing, solves the water problem.
quite a number of the growers who
are well equipped for summer ranges,
have taken advantage of these SPLEEN
did winter conditions by largely in
crossing their stock herds, and on the
east desert there Is room for 100000
head more than will be run
The opening of the Uinlah Indian
reservation oct. l. next, to settlers
will no doubt result IN the abandOn-
n1ent of that splendid summer range
section by many Utah sheep men.
II is thought however, that this forced
move will not put them out Of the
business altogether but will have the
effect of moving them on to the tim-
Der reserves and other mountain
ranges.
In 1900 the government census
showed 3,StS,423 sheep in the State
OF Utah, divided as follows, ewes
1,9S3,S02; wethers. 6b93S2, lambs,
1895. $50. The total value Of these
was S10,256.4 S0. The lamb and wether
crop of that year was of the value of
approximately, s5,0000O0, and the wool
crop totalled Sl.S00.000
For this year the state inspection as
reported by Jesse NJ smith, president
OF the Utah Woolgrowers' association
shows a total number of S53,790, the
wool crop from the same being Of about
the value of Sl.500,000; the lamb and
mutton crop at about $2,400,00O, total
of $4,000. 00O, or falling off since the
crop of 1900 Of S2,9O0,0O0,
The census of 1900, however prob
ably showed more sheep than wore
owned by Utah nockmasters, as there
states included undoubtedly and the
census was duplicated IN number OF
cases. However, the fact remains the
same. Utah hockmasters all along the
line have materially cut down theiI
fiocks this year.
CATTLE,
When 1t comes TO cattle the outlooh
Is even darker than TN the case o
sheep. While there are possibly more
cattle I'm Utah today than there were
the same time last year, This holds
good with all grades and the same
depreciation prevails all over Tho
country. During the heavy run on thu
market this fall cattle have sold love-
than at any other time during the pas
% years II is probably true that th'
bulk of consignments shipped to th'
market during the past 30 days haN'
been sold for less than S2,25 per 100
this includes the Texas run common
cows and Gamers Of both sexes unt
the common kinds Of steers of th'
ranges. The daily sales Mt kansa
r------------------------- =