Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-21
ANINCREASEOF
HALF MILLION
Report Of Commissioner Ferguson
Gives Some Interesting Figures
Regarding Wool Industry.
PRODUCT LIGHTER IN WEIGHT
Over Four Million Sheep In the State,
Montana Still Leading in Pro.
duct Of Wool.

Helena, Dec. 1S.-Many facts Of in
terest to the people of Montana. the
greatest wool producing state in the
Union, will be given in the biennial
report of the state bureau of agricul-
ture. labor and industry, which is to
be issued about the first of the year.
Commissioner Ferguson's figures GOV
er the years 1903 and 1904. and show
that while there was a falling of of
nearly two million pounds in the wool
production of the state in 1904 as CON-
pared with the total for 1903, the value
oil the product in the aggregate in
lsU4 was more than half a million dol
lars in exces of the total for 1903.
In the division of the report devot-
ed to sheep and wool, Commissioner
Ferguson will say:
while the returns show that there
has been a considerable shrinkage in
the number of pounds of wool produc-
ed In Montana for 1903 and 1904 the
state still maintains the proud distinc-
ton of possessing more and raising
more wool than any in the Union.
"Some severe storms in the late
spring of 1903, and the reduction of
available ranges by the creation of for
est reserves, upon which sheep are not
allowed to Craze, may account for
some of the diminuition of focks, al
though the records of many years
show that there Is a tendency to fiuc.
tuation in the totals throughout the
world not easily accounted for. The
past season was particularly favorable,
prices for wool having been higher
than for years, while AT present the
market for lambs and mutton sheep
is especially good.
Feeding has not been engaged in
to so great an extent this winter as
last, particularly In Gallatin county.
In 1903, $4,000 to $4,000 were fed In
that county, while not more than 20
900 are being fed now.
THE sheep industry in Montana
dates from the early sixties, the first
importations being Merinos from Cal.
ifornia, and this breed. with some
crosses. forms the greater part OF all
the flocks of the state.
THE tables compiled by the state
t-.- " A-,atO. GhnuF tho prhnlo
number of sheep in the state on March
of 1904 to have been 4,139. 765, and
for the purposes Of assessment these
were valued at $S,453.594, or nearly
$2.05 a head.
"The eastern middlemen stands be-
tween the grower and the manufactur
er. and the manufacturer stands be
tween the grower and the consumer,
whose demand il Is that makes the
business in every way possible. n
demand would still exist. even though
SO great a change should come as the
elimination of both the eastern rae
tors, in which event there would be
simply a different class of buyers sent
to Montana. In other words, instead
of the representatives of the eastern
wool buyers in the market for u raw
wool. we would have the representa-
tives of eastern jobbers in the market
for the product of our mills.
This is directly In line with pack
ing house projects now under consid'
Grafton by the National Livestock as
sociation, and Is earnestly recommend.
ed to the attention of the various o
growers associations Of Montana
A Strong Wool aMrket.
In describing the situation in the
wool market, Dunn's Review says:
One hundred grades OF domestic
wool averaged 25.15 cents on Decenl'
Der 1, against PALS cents on Decem
Der |. against PALS cents a month pre-
yious, while compared with the cor
responding date last year the advance
now amounts to about ga cents. These
figures are taken from the monthly
circular issued by Coates brothers. OF
Philadelphia. Values grow steadiiy
stronger, because supplies are so linn
tied. Mills are constantly seeking de-
liyeries, and IL is no longer a matter
of uncertainty regarding the ready
market that will be found for all the
available wool up to the new clip.
Considerable foreign wool was pur-
chased at the recent London sale and
Is now en- route. but 1t Is not expect
ed to compete with the domestic pro-