Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1910-02-15
SHEEP SHEAR|NG IS COMPLETE
FAR AHEAD Of TINE IN ARIZONA

PHOENIX, Feb. 1.-THE annual
sheep shearing campaign in this val
ley, normally. should now be at its
height. but in truth it is over and
instead OF some hundreds of thousands
OF sheep, shorn OF their valuable clip.
grazing on grass covered so-ealled
deserts, this year the few thousands
THAI have been shorn in the valley are
Jrekfns hack to the hill while the
deserts are real and brown. just as
they are Ia the story books.
The reasons for 4 are set forth in
what follows. CLEANED from an inter
view with a couple OF the leading
sheep men of the territory. One OF
the REASONS Is the long, cold winter
that Rept back the desert grass. Tha,
may be remdied another season. but
some Of the others, perhaps, will be
harder 10 overcome. And while in
the general prosperity of the valley.
the fact has no. yet become fully ap-
preciated. il is a fact nevertheless that
the ANIMAL harvest of dollars from the
sheep men will be smaller hereabout
by considerable than has been the
case for several years past.
Arizona sheep have wintered nicely
to date and owing to unusually fine
range conditions last summer the
quality OF the wool this year will be
better, or rather is better, than ever
before. The clip. however. viii be
considerably lighter in quantity.
Shearing in central and southern
Arena (Salt river Valley began
about the 10th Of January and is now
practically finished at the following
named points: Cave Greek, Marinette,
Beardsley. Hos Springs Junction, Con
gress Junction and Wenden. all on the
line Of the S. F. & P. railroad sys-
TEN. except Cave Creek. Machines
were used in all these places excep.
Wentien and Congress Junction, where
the shearing was done by hand.
Il is understood shearing has also
begun in Mohave county, at Kingman.
Heretofore the flocks have been
driven from the northern ranges TO
the Salt river valley for shearing and
Landing. grazing largely on the forest
reserves, going and coming. Owing
10 new regulations they have been eX-
GUIDED from most OF the reserve
ranges adjacent to the trails, espec-
tally along the Verde valley. In ad-
dition, The deserts in the Salt river
valley. usually green at this season
with grass from winter rains. are a.
tbs time almost bear of grass. on &C
count CT the unusually prolonged cold
spell covering December and most OF
January
There is little available grazing for
the flocks here during The shearing
and subsequent lambing season and
those tina. have shorn must hasten
back to the colder attitudes Of the
grazing section. where many OF the
lambs are CERTAIN 10 succumb and the
shorn sheep will not do any too well |
for a time For .hese two reasons 20 /
per cent of the sheep in Arizona viii
be shorn this year in Yavapai county. |
midway between the valley and the /
northern ranges, the lowest attitudes |
obtainable where there are good IA |
cili-ies. nearby shipping points and
fair ranges. II is also predicted that |
for the above reasons the lamb crop
that survives the more rigorous condi- /
lions. will not exceed 40 per cent Of
what il should be, or would have been
under former favorable conditions.