The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-10-10
Is THERE A MUTTON SHORTAGE?

The lockmasters OF Montana aud
other sheep raising states will be in
terested 10 the views of mutton marke,
authorities, who express the opinion
that supplies Of mutton are no equal
to the demand. Last week, the Chica.
go market received about 175, 900 head
OF sheep and lambs, the largest mum.
Der ever received in one week, but
prices ruled at a level considerably
higher than the quotations of recent
seasons. The demand was not satisfied
even by this record supply. The ap.
parent shortage In the mutton supply
is the subject Of these comments by the
DrOvers Journal:
Surprise has been expressed by a
good many buyers who have reached
this market in search of feeding sheep
at the remarkably small showing of
wethers in the supplies. Orders for
good feeding wethers have been in
hand here for weeks with a price limit
OF $500 per hundredweight that it has
been impossible 10 fill with anything
good enough to suit the feeder.
One does not have to think hard or
inquire far to find a good reason for
this condition. During the last half.
dozen years, more especially than any
other period in the history Of sheep
raising, has the practice of selling the
whole lamb crop each year been gen.
orally popular with farmers.
Western ranchmen, too, ia tn at time
have shipped the great bulk Of each
years crop to market in lamb form.
II not fat there has been good outlet
for them in recent years to the feeders
10 central states. Practically all the
lambs that go into the hands of these
central states feeders as we'll as all
native lambs THAT are not sold fat
from farm pastures 90 to the big mar.
kets during the winter.
Time was:not many years ago when
native yearlings and wethers formed q
considerable portion of arrivals of
native sheep, but q bunch Of native
wethers these days above a dozen in
number on this market Is uncommon
enough to call for special attention
from traders. An order for q double
OF native wethers could not be filled
here In q month. Not one load of
good fat western wethers has been
available here this season, where a
dozen could have been secured from
range supplies five years ago.
Notlmany years ago nearly every
farmer who raised sheep had a bunch
OF wethers to turn of either to market
or to the feeders in the fall, but the
popularity OF lamb meat has wholly
wiped out this feature of mutton pro.
duction. Lamb marketing has sound
ed the knell of the mutton wether.
Fewer sheep have been taken out
this season to fatten than ever before,
chiefly because the feeding grades
were not to be had. Such feeding
wethers as were offered of a good class
have found ready sale at 81. OO{d5. %,
very few strictly desirable feeders hav.
ing been offered as low as $500 With
feeding lambs selling up to sc. 5Oa7.-
90. most Of the season up to the last
week there was demand for all the good
wethers to be had even at these prices,
ranging from SO to Is cents higher
than what were considered high prices
the year before. SO small a supply
OF feeding yearlings and wcthers has
been taken out that Il scarcity of fat
mutton stock more alarming than ever
before is threatened for the coming
winter and spring markets.