The Yale expositor., 1910-10-21
A RARE SHEEP OPPORTUNITY
Enormous Receipts at Market-Farn'
ers and Sheep Feeders Can Stock
Up at Bargain Prices.
CAUSES OF THE RUN.

100000 sheep and lambs received In
three days-such, in round numbers,
is the record-breaking run thus far
this week on the Chicago market!
This enormous over-marketing OF
sheep is the result of temporary and
peculiar causes, and offers rare OPP
portunity for farmers and sheep feed
ers to stock up at bargain prices.
This great rush of sheep to market
comes mainly from Montana and adj
joining western range country, and
cannot last more than two or three
weeks longer. II is no evidence OF
over-production. It's principal causes
are the recent drought, which so
burned out the grass that there will
be very little winter feed on the range,
and which prevented the putting up of
sufficient hay to carry any consider
able number of sheep over winter,
while last winter was a very severe
one and hay was so closely fed that
there is no old hay left over for the
purpose. The consequence is that
sheep owners are forced to market
the bulk of their sheep this fall, or
else lose them in the fierce storms of
winter.
The most serious cause of the pres
ent general liquidation, however, is
the restriction of the range through
occupation and fencing by dry farm
ers. who are grain growers, and not
live stock raisers. The tremendous
rush OF these settlers upon the range
within the last three years, and espe-
cially within the last twelve months,
is hard for eastern people to realize.
II is not alone the area actually en-
closed by these settlers, but the break
ing up thereby of vast regions OF
grazing lands into such small sections
that they are no longer available to
stockmen for grazing their flocks,
which Is one of the main reasons why
the sheep supplies of the western
range country are being more closely
marketed this year than ever before
In the history of the trade.
This means an inevitable shortage
at market later on and next year. and
with constantly growing demand for
both mutton and wool, IL would seem
that future good prices are assured.
The western range country has
heretofore been the chief source of
sheep market supplies, but unless the
farmers of the corn belt begin at once
to raise many more sheep than they
have ever done before, there will be
a great scarcity of both mutton and
wool before long in this country.
Moreover. there is a world-shortage
of live stock of all kinds. All Europe
is short of sheep, and even Australians
supply is declining with rapidity. The
same general causes that exist in this
country are operating in other coun-
tries also. Populations are growing
rapidly everywhere, while grazing
areas are being reduced AS pasture
land is turned to production of cereals,
sheep raising declines.
Thousands of American farmers can
turn this situation TO their benefit,
through increase OF both soil fertility
and money profit. by beginning right
now each to keep a small flock of
sheep upon his farm. And by taking
advantage OF the present opportunity
to buy healthy. thrifty, growing west
ern range sheep at bargain prices up
on the heavily supplied Chicago mar
ket, they can stock up at minimum
cost, whether they want foundation
stock for breeding or the growing kind
to fatten for market.