The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-12-07
THE SHEEP INDUSTRY.
An Article that Was UnavoidabIy
Crowded Out of the Wom-
ans Edition.


ans Edition.
The following article contributed
at a late hour to the Woman's Edition
was unavoidably crowded out for
lack of space, but it is such an excel
lent article that The Record IS glad
to give it space.
Perhaps nowhere in the world are
climatic conditions so favorable TO
the sheep and wool growing industry
as in the Pecos Valley of New Mexi-
co. The winters here are not so Sc
we're as most high countries. It being
too far south to suffer from the snow
storms of Utah and the DakotaS.
thereby insuring protection to the
hocks against the disastrous nffects
Of the billiards that strike terror tn
the hearts of the sheep growers %
the north. doing away entirely witt
shedding and all it's announcement eX
pense.
In its natural state. there is in this
section, an abundance of most nutri-
tiOus grasses. such as buffalo grass
(which experiments have shown to
be very much superior to Kentucky
Blue Grass, and very much better
than timothy, the curly mesquite,
the white and black gramma. and
salt grass valuable when young and
tender for lambing grounds: all of
these grasses cure on their roots in
to perfect hay. upon which the sheen
can subsist throughout the fall and
winter. In addition to these natural
grasses. owing to the unlimited water
supply. the extensive growing of al
falfa. the most valuable of all forage
crops. is made possible; and this used
in connection with Milo maize or kat
fr corn is especially suited to the fat
tering Of sheep and lambs. Early
lambs raised in the PecOs Valley fat
tened on alfalfa, with a final round
ing off of milo maize and shipped to
Kansas City in good shape topped the
market. causing a scramble among
buyers to bid on them.
In the early history Of the sheen
industry here. but few men were en-
Gagged in the business. it being con-
| sidered one of minor Importance and
Of little consequence. The sheer
were coarse wooded n of inferior
GRADES. Of later years this condition
| shows a decided change. Experienc-
| ed men from some of the best sheen
producing states of the east. seeing
the natural advantages of our country
have come here. located and nave
management necessary to the up
building of any successful business.
To-day instead of the Mexican who
Ierded his own fOcks cooked his
w bacon n beans. whose. only
home was his camp tent. and who was
! content with small f1Ocks and CORE
spending profits. we find thar our
sheep men are among the most promi
rent and most prosperous business
men of the Valley. Their homes
among the handsomest. their wives
and daughters move in the best cir
| cles. having all the advantages of ed
lcation. culture and refinement that
are enjoyed by the family Of anv
American business man of airy call
ing. Instead of the inferior Mexican
sheep. which was coarse wooded and
of little mutton value. we 10 hnC
be found any where in the east. They
have a solid. compact body. covered
with a fleece of wool which at shear
ing time averages from seven 10 ten
pounds. The texture of the fibre com
oares favorabIy with the wool from
he best wool producing states. Their
are at present probably more than
| two hundred and fifty thousand sheep
IN Chaves and Eddy counties. and
he total shipment of wool from these
.wo counties alone will exceed two
| nlIliOH DOliluS CdCH oCdHOll NPo -
IS the main shipping point for both
wool and sheep. The Roswell Wool
E Hide Company handles perhaps the
largest amount of wool and mohair
Of any firm in the Valley. Their ship
ments to their eastern connections
have reached the sum total OF Il mil
ion and a half pounds the present
year. This firms operation extends
well over the Territory. and their
thorough knowledge of the staple has
won for them the confidence IF the
eastern people, both millsmen and
dealers, enabling them to AXE a first
rank in this trade. Roswell now has