Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-07

sheds or corralS located at various
/ points OH the range, where the animals
! may seek shelter against the severe
| storms Of snow or Sleet. Twice a wear
| the sheep are sheared. At one time this
was done by hand but of late years
1 machine Shearing has progressed
! rapidly because more wool and evenDr
| fleece are obtained and at the same
time there is less injury to the sheep
the operator often cutting the sheep
more or less severely in the rapidity of
the hand process. Very little if any
sorting OF wool is dore on the ranch
except the wool of the black sheep.
which brings a much higher price ana
| is consequently kept arart
| 1t is somewhat difficult 10 get at the
average income Of the sheep farmer.
| Naturally those in the business are not
seeking competition, but when the
business is engaged in extensively and
under favorable range conditions, the
profits are undoubtedly alluringly
large.
1t is an established fact that some of
the American sheep farmers make a
profit of $3.50 head out of their flock
| Without a doubt the sheep is an ex-
ceedingly profitable animal.
sheep raising in America is still of
small proportion and in its infancy
when compared to the extent and high
devt lorment to which it has been car
ried in Australia. The western portion
Of this hug" country has proved second
to nono in adaptability to sheep rails
I ing. Even the forest areas afford ex-
ceicnI ranges. The climate also favors
| the industry, as the winters are so mild
as not 10 interfere with grazing the
year round.
For several years her sheep have
been Australians greatest source Of
wealth. and sh, has led the world as a
producer of one of the most important
and valuable of StapleS-wool
There are almost a fabulous number
of sheep on the ranges of Australia
Some of the largest ranchmen are the
owners of foclls Of one hundred or
| even one hundred and twenty-five
thousand head, while fiocks of forty
and fifty thousand are not considered
at all remarkable.
IN the colony of New South Wales
alone there are probably as many
sheep To-Day as in the whole Of the
United States.
The breed OF sheep in Australia is
constantly improving, as is shown not
only in the great increase in the aver
age weight of the clip per sheep but
Also b! the fact that while formerly
little or no mutton was exported the
improvement of the breed, together
with The discovery Of satisfactory
process Of cold storage on shipboard,
has opened up new source Of revenue
from the sheep through the expectation
of large Quantities of mutton to the
European markets. In the course of
time this trade promises to become of
the greatest importance.
The most interesting time of the year
to visit an Australian sheep ranch is
during the clipping season. The Aus
tralian sheep raisers have not taken as
kindly to the machine process of shear
ing as have the American breeders, AM
on many OF the ranches of Australia
the greater portion of tie shearing is
done by hand.
In the clipping season bands Of men
numbering from fifty to one hundred |
go from one ranch to another to shear
the sheep and become very expert at |
the business. realizing a very hand |
some sum of money at the close of each |
season. Some of these men invest |
their earnings in focks and thus |
gradually become possessed of ranges |
of their own.
The majority of the clippers are not |
so careful of their means. and after |
the season is finished. they HE away to |
Sydney. Melbourne Or some other |
populous center, where they drink and |
gamble away their money much faster |
than they earned it.
An average professional shearer will |
clip ore hundred sheep in day OF ten |
hours. The highest price paid for such
service is IS a day or rather S. per
hundred animals sheared. These men
often work over hours during the sea-
son, for which they are paid at the
same rate and are always furnished |
board and lodging by the owner Of the
ranch by whom they are employed.
The process of sheep shearing would l
seem slow and tedious one but with /
q hundred men shearing a hundred 4
sheep day, and some experts shearing
a hundred and eighty, even two hun i
dred thousand sheep are soon disposed /
Of -.-