Lower coast gazette., 1910-07-16

" the wool clip all over the United
States should be reduced for the
year 1910. as 1t has been in Ari-
iona, where the clipping is done
earlier than in other sections OF
the country. the market will be high.
Arizona had the earliest clip In its
history this year. The clip is usual
~ at its height In Salt River valley
and in other sections of the territory
about the middle OF February, where
as this year the sheep were all shOrn
and on their way back to the hills on
February -. The fOcks wintered
well, but owing to the cold weather
the grass on the ranges continued
dry, and as a result the quality OF the
wool vas improved, while the output
was curtailed. So pronounced was
this shortage in the clip that instead
of the influx of several hundred thou
sand of sheep into the clipping CEN
ters of the Salt River valley, the num-
bers could be counted by the thou
sands.
The clipping began this year about
the tenth OF January, and by the mid
die of February was finished at Cave
Creek, Marinette,. Beardsley, Hot
Springs Junction, Congress Junction
and Weden. Machines were used at
all these clipping centers with the eX-
CeptiOn of Wedcn and Congress juno
ton. where the shearing was done by
hand. Shearing in the north was la
ter, but even there far ahead of the
usual season. Conditions were about
the same in MOhave county, the clip
ping center for hat district being
Kingman.
In former years 1t was customary
for the sheep men TO drive their
focKs from Mohave county to the Salt
River valley for the. lambing and
shearing season. using the forest
ranges running north and south for
forage along the route both north and
south. But the e forest regulations
now prohibit this use of the govern
ment reserves; the sheep men have
been unable TO get their ftoCks through.
especially through the Verde valley,
so that the movement south was aban.
doned this eason
In addition to the restrictions placed
upon the forest reserves, the valleys
that In former years were green, ow-
ing TO the cold, dry weather and the
consequent lack of rains, this year
were not green enough to support the
moving flocks. The result of this is
that those focks which were moved
south, for lack of grazing In the cen
trail Arizona valleys, had to hasten
back north, where the Landing proved
disastrous, not only to the lambkinS
but to the yves as well. For this
reason 20 per cent. of the sheep shorn
in Arizona for 1910 had the clipping
done in Yavapai county. midway be-
tween the valley and northern ranges,
this being the lowest altitude obtain.
able where there was the COmbina-
ton of clipping facilities, nearby ship.
ping points and fair ranges. BY the
same token 1t is o predicted that
the lamb crop for the year will not
exceed 10 per cent. OF what 1t should
be. or would be under more favorable
conditions.
The largest shearing point In Iapayal
county this year was at Cordes. where
between 10000 and 10000 pounds Of
wool was clipped. The clip at King
man ran to GO, 1000 head, and the gov
eminent reports credit Arizona with
an average yield OF fleece weighing
Cos pounds per sheep, which would
bring me yield up to more than $780,
600 pounds. Owing TO the conditions re-
ferred to in the foregoing, the clip in
the northern part of Arizona will be
later than usual this year, because the
owners of the focks prefer TO await
q late clip rather than risk the loss
Of the lambs.
Prices for wool Ia Arizona this year
ranged around the prices of last
year. Agents paid on the ground be-
tween 20 and 30 cents for the clip
OF 80 per cent. OF the sheep shorn in