The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-01-08
STATE LEADS ALL OTHERS
Heads List with Number Of Animals
and Amount of Wool
Shorn.

and ending with December. The arti-
Gle is q readable and interesting one,
as it deals with the wool clip and
number of sheep in. the country, be-
sides being fortified with official statis-
tics on these subjects, taken from the
report of the statistical bureal OF the
agricultural department, along with
letters from different parts of the
country.
while from some states reports are
made of wool still on hand, the cor
RESPONDENTS from about every wool
center in Montana report no wool as
having been kept over.
Under the signature of "B" the Big
Timber correspondent writes chat the
wooden mill at that place is compelled
to pull pelts in order to secure a sup
ply of the staple. But for all the
writers of those letters say to the
contrary, the Reporter, in a table
p%urporting to give the total stocks OF
wool in the United States, credits
Montana with having had on hand at
the close of the year 275,000 pounds
of wool as against none in 1902. The
same table shows the total OF. all wool,
exclusive of manufacturers holdings,
on hand in the United States Deem
Der 81 to have been Isl, 427, 200 pounds.
This does not include the wool in
bond, as considerable of the latter is
held by manufacturers, and therefore
not to be included in stocks that were
actually on the market. The amount
of wool in bond was 3~4,836,461
pounds, as against 29,695,9 1926 Deem
Der 81, 1902. On the last day of 1902
the total of the wool in stock in mar.
ket was 140,417, 900.
The difference between the two to-
tails of wool in stock and on the mar.
ket serves as a tolerably accurate
guide to the condition of the trade last
year and the year before and substan.
tiates the oft repeated assertion that
business last year vas poor as far as
concerns the dealers. AS if to still
furthern show the difference in trad
ing at Boston in the two years are
the figures showing the stocks on
hand in the principal markets at the
close of 1902 and 1908. Thus while
merchants had only 78,82O,0OO pounds
of wool in their warehouses December
81, 1902, on the same date last yea
they reported a total of S5,38O,OOO
pounds.
Some Comparative Figures.
The number of sheep, exclusive OF
lambs, with the weight per fleece,
and the amount of the wool clip for
1908 are given in tabulated form in
the article. In addition the govern
ment's estimates of the number OF
sheep in the country, including lambs,
January 1, the average weight per
fleece and the losses for the year end
ing March 81, 1903, are also given.
By the governments figures it is
shown that January l, 1903, Montana
had a total of 8,932,311 sheep, which
yielded an average clip of 7.2 pounds.
The losses for the year ending March
81 are given as 643,126. The state
having the next largest number OF
sheep, was Wyoming, which was cred
tied with. ~5,826,150, with the same
average yield per fleece as Montana
New Mexico was a good third, with
5,677,156. Idaho was fourth, with 4,
541,815. The average weight per fleece
for New Mexico was given at a.
pounds, while Idaho was credited with
5.4 pounds.
The government estimated the tota.
number of sheep in the United State!
to hvae been 90, 1854, 876; the averag,
weight per fleece 81 pounds, and tn,
total losses 5,2O6,O58.
In speaking of these figures tn,
Reporter says: Taking these figure
as a basis for the wool clip and de
Quoting the losses, which the depart
ment estimates to be $780, 900 TO
the year ending March 81, 1903, Their,
would be figured out the record cli]
of 358,450,OO0 pounds for 1903. N
one, not even the department, ex
poets al increase of nearly SO, 600, co.
pounds over last years's estimate O
100000 OO. Look a little further an
examine some, OF the large wool state
in the west. Montana is credited witt
8.9S2.sh1 sheep. weight per fleece
~. Deducting the losses and Nor
tana should have a clip of nearly 60