Arizona republican., 1911-03-29
PRODUCTION OF SHEEP
AND WOOL IN ARIZONA
PROF. s. w. WILSON COMPLIES
VALUABLE DATA.
History of the Industry and the Re-
suit of Modern Investigations.

some OF the most valuable lnfOrlna-
tion concerning the sheep and wool
industry i'm this territory that has
ever been compiled was given by
Prof. +. w. Wilson. in charge Of the
University of Arizona agricultural
experiment station. in his address at
the board of trade last Saturday af-
ternoon. Prof Wilson prepared a
paper as sort of guide for his
talk and The Republican is permitted
Ia reproduce some of the most essen
tial portions thereof. which follow:
Prof. Wilson's Paper.
Since the time of the early Spanish
colonists sheep raising has been one
of the principal range industries of
the territory Sheep and wool grow
ing were given added attention dur
ing the years from 1879 to 1886 by
the introduction of new flocks into
the then new grazing lands Of the
territory. These sheep were of the
fine wooded type carrying blood of
the old French and Spanish Merino.
The growth of the industry has been
steadily increasing. due To the de-
mand for wool and mutton. Arizona
will be well supplied for years To
come with grazing land which, If
properly handled. will increase in
producing pasture. The public do
main at the present time is very
unsatisfactory To a majority OF sheep
owners for the reason that there Is
little control over the open range,
consequently the range does not pro-
dnce as heavily as il should. With
the advent Of lease law the sheep
owner could lease land for a long per
iod and improve this land IN rtlny
ways and al the expiration of the
lease receive pay for his improve
ments.
AT the present time there are over
million and half sheep ON the
ranges. producing from eight to nine
million pounds Of wool annually.
Practically all of this wool is from
a basis Of Merino stock and Is pf very
good quality. good medium staple. and
fairly free from grease and dirt. Ari-
IONA wool shrinks from about 81
per cent to G5 per cent: /. e.. the wool
as il is shorn will produce secured
wool at the rate of from - TO AZ per
cent
Arizona sheep owners make use Of
the southern desert range during the
winter months. Al this time a great
many lambs are dropped The alb
sence of excessive rain and the mild
climate coupled with the desert feed
make ideal conditions for young
lambs
So great has grown the practice of
growing lambs under these conditions
that the lambs are termed Phoenix
lambs" or winter lambs i'm the
eastern markets. These lambs usu-
ally bring good prices on the east
ern markets in June and July. This
is due To the fact that the sheep
that are being fed in the eastern feed
lots are all marketed by this time
and the sheep held over in the east
for summer fattening on the pas
lures are not fat by this time. North
ern range lambs are not fat by this
time for the same reason.
After the ewes are shorn and the
lambs are old enough to travel the
bands of sheep gradually work to-
word the northern summer ranges.
Usually the lambs are fat and ready
to ship by the time the northern
line of the Santa Fe railroad is
reached. These lambs range in
weight from 60 to so pounds at from
seven to eight months of age. Usu-
ally shrink of 10 per cent is made
in shipping to market This is much
better. relatively speaking. than the
shrink from Utah. Idaho. Montana
and Wyoming to the same market.
Lambs that are LANDED late are
usually held over until late summer
or fasl and sold for mutton or feeders.
If prices are not good they are held
for one year more.
For the past four or five years the
average cost of grazing sheep on the
range has been in the neighborhood
of $500 per head. This includes labor.
shearing maintenance of wells. reser-
voirs. dipping. and cost of range on
the forest reserves, etc.
A very important phase of sheep
raising in Arizona is that of growing
sheep and wool In the warm, southern,
irrigated valleys This winter there
are probably 10000 sheep held on pas
ture in the Salt river valley. The
major portion is breeding stock. al
though part is being held for the
market
Pasture.
IL properly managed alfalfa fur
nishes very satisfactory pasture
for sheep. Ii produces a fleece very