The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1910-07-14

F the wool clip all over the United
States should be reduced for the
year 1910, as 1t has been in Arr.
zona, 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
ly 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 IL. The f1ocks wintered
we'll, but owing to the cold weather
the grass on the ranges continued
dry, and as result the quality of the
wool was 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 Weden and Congress juno
ton, where the shearing was done by
hand. Shearing in the north was Ia
ter, but even there far ahead of the
usual season. Conditions were about
the same in Mohave county, the clip
ping center for that district being
Kingman.
In former years it was customary
for the sheep men to drive their
iocks 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 new forest regulations
now prohibit this use Of the govern
ment reserves; the sheep men have
been unable to get their flocks through,
especially through the Verde valley,
so that the movement south was aban-
doned this season.
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 flocks which were moved
south, for lack of grazing In the GEN.
trail Arizona valleys, had to hasten
back north, where the lambing proved
disastrous, not only to the lambkins
but to the ewes as well. For this
reason 70 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 It is now predicted that
the lamb crop for the year will not
exceed 40 per cent. Of what 1t should
be, or would be under more favorable
conditions.
The largest shearing point in Yapavai
county this year was at Cordes, where
between 10000 and 100000 pounds of
wool was clipped. The clip at King
man ran to 10000 head, and the gov
eminent reports credit Arizona with
an average yield Of fleece Weighing
SOS pounds per sheep, which would
bring the yield up to more than 300,-
900 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
a late clip rather than risk the loss
of the lambs
Prices for wool in Arizona this year
ranged around the prices Of last
year. Agents paid on the ground be-
tween 20 and % cents for the clip
II 40 per cent. of the sheen shnrn In