Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-11-28
FLOCKS SHOW
BIG DECREASE
Large Number Of Montana Sheep Sold
and Taken Out Of the State
This Season.
10000 FROM FERGUS COUNTY
Clip Will Show q Corresponding Fall.
Ing OF Next Season-Flocks
Thriving at Present.

OIS T8ncn last week, states that sheep
are doing well all over the county,
so far as reported, and the conditions
SO far are very favorable for a big
clip next season. All attempts to
make contracts on next years clip
IL Fergus county has been given up.
although q little trading by local
houses is reported in other parts of
the state. There is no disposition
anywhere to take lower prices than
were secured last summer and most
OF the growers are holding out for an
advance. The prediction made earlier
that about 100000 sheep would 60 out
of Fergus this fall and winter has
been realized. Trading in this line
Is now also at an end. and all deliv-
cries have been made.
The long continued snow storm is
now causing the sheep men some un-
easmess, as it is forcing them to COM
mence feeding, and it is seldom in
deed that this is necessary so early in
the season. However, the sheep are
IN fine shape, and it is predicted that
they Will go through the storm with
little Or no difficulty.
Conditions In the State.
The American Sheep Breeder and
wool Grower. in its last issue, gives
the following interesting review of
the wool industry in Montana at large:
From reports received from all
parts of the state, Montana will go
into the winter with less sheep than
for years. Never in the history of the
commonwealth has there been such
a great scramble for sheep as has
been evidenced during the past sum-
mer and fall. Sheepmen who contract
ed their lambs and sheep early in
the spring for fall delivery have lost
money and are bewailing the fact that
1t is necessary for them to turn over
their lambs at So or somewhat better
as has been necessary in many cases.
"The truth remains, however, that
sheep are what sheepman would
call scarce. and judging from present
conditions they will remain SO for a
number of years to come. The man.
ner in which the 1905 lamb crop has
been bought up is unprecedented. Big
coarse wool lambs, as a rule, COM
manded the highest prices and in
many cases $2.75 head has been
paid for them. Feeder buyers have
been active all over the state, many
coming from Colorado, a thing which,
1t is said, has never been done be-
fore.
Judging from the manner in which
the lambs have been bought up, the
natural inference is, where is the in.
crease in the herds, made necessary
by the culling out of old sheep and
the winters losses, to come from
The sheepmen figure, and correctly,
too, that they cannot afford to hold
their lambs when they can sell them
for $3.50 a head. The heaviest losses
ccme during the first year-in win
tering the lambs. This together with
the fact that the wool clip is light on
lambs demonstrates to the practical
sheepman that there is more money
in selling lambs at the high figure
than there is in keeping them.
''Rea Bros. of st. Paul have been ex.
ceedingly large operators in Montana
this year. They have purchased
lambs from all parts of the state and
are feeding them on the luxuriant pro.
duct of the Yellowstone valley. Pas
Sci gers on the trains are daily greet.
ed with the sight of large bands of
sheep, mostly lambs, being fed on
the nearby farms. Thousands of head
of the wool bearing animals have
been purchased by Rea Bros. and are
being forwarded to market as fast as
they are matured.
Sheep Decreasing.
THUS a further and more marked
decrease in the number of sheep in
Montana is predicted and the wool
clip next year will be considerably
snort of a year ago. This is the opin-
ior of numerous sheepmen we'll posted
OIL the situation.
In the counties of Cascade, Chou.
teau, Teton and Valley there were
about 100000 sheep six months ago;
fully one-half this number have since
been sold. It is estimated that over
100000 head have been sold to be
shipped out of these counties. For
the past two months shipments have
been made as rapidly as the railroad
could furnish the cars; many orders
for cars are booked for months ahead
but the cars cannot be had. Sheep
men are holding their animals fol-
weeks in the vicinity of the shipping
points. only to be disappointed in moi
being able to obtain cars. In the
vicinity OF townsend 5000 sheep navs
Occu ucAU, ~ lul0 WTltlu&, lOr tWC
weeks, by three different owners, and
still there are no cars in sight. The
sheep were delivered October Is and
have been held at the new owners
expense since that time. One band
of sheep is destined for Denver, but
1t is stated. cars had to be brought
from the Burlington system and that
they we're working overtime.
Data furnished by the railway com
panies and the principal dealers in
sheep indicate that the total number
of sheep in Cascade. Teton. Valley
and Chouteau counties will be 100000
to 600. 900 less on the first day of Jan
uary. 1t is also estimated that thu
wool clip next summer in the terri
tory along the Great Northern rail
way will be at least 100000 pound,
less than it was this year.
About 100000 head Of the sheeI
purchased in these counties have beel
trailed to the Yellowstone valley ant
will be fed there. Many more hav'
bevn shipped to that valley by rail
Many large shipments have been sen