The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-11-01
Sheep on the
Arabic Farm.
BY T. S. Cooley, Superintend-
ent Montana Farmers lnsti-
tutes.

+ + j. j. ]. j. !. + + + + + + !. + !
There can be no permanent agricul-
ture without live stock. A proper bal
ance beween plant and animal life on
the farm is essential to success. While
this is true almost everywhere, it be
comes more and more apparent as
distance from the ultimate market
and increases. Concentra-
ton facilitates marketing. When the
low priced primary products of the
land are converted into valuable ami
NAL products, such as meats, butter,
cheese, eggs, wool, ETC., the transpor-
tation charges become a very much
less percentage of the selling price.
Firm believers in this principle of
h%usbandry are James and Roy Martin,
father and son, who were among the
early settlers in the Gallatin valley
and whose experience is peculiarly
valuable as applied to the agriculture
of Montana. On their 500-acre irri-
gated ranch three miles south of Boze-
man they have worked out a system
of mixed farming that is we'll worth
the study and emulation of farmers
throughout the state.
Much of their land is we'll adapted
to grain growing, wheat and oats
yielding heavily. Glover and grasses
follow in rotation and yield heavy
crops, all of which are fed on the
place, to the evident improvement of
the productiveness of the land. A
large herd of Shorthorn cattle is kept,
generally half a hundred hogs, and
the number of brood mares is ade-
quate to the performance of the farm
work and the production of a goodly
number of foals each year.
But the pride of the farm is a mag
nifcent flock of Shropshire sheep.
Mr.. James Martin says, "The sheep
are twice as profitable as any other
flock we keep"
The breeding flock now numbers
about 400 ewes including 100 year
|lings, which have produced 400 lambs
this season. the aim being to maintain
a flock of about 800 breeding ewes.
The lambs are dropped in March, on
feed, when there is commonly fine
dry, cool weather in the Gallatin val
LEY. A model lambing pen has been
constructed, with curtain front to af
ford perfect ventilationwithout drafts
AS high as a 14O per cent lamb croI
has been obtained, and probably the
average crop will reach 1925 per cent
A dozen lambs cut out and weighed
last fall at seven months old (rathel
below the average in size) averaged
1O1 pounds in weight. They find ready
sale at SIS per head.
The wool clip has never run lower
than eight and o~ne-quarter pounds PEI
head for the flock, and from that tt
upwards of ten pounds, between nin'
and ten being the average yield.
While the farm comprises consider
able pasture land that is not used TO,
tillage purposes, the sheep are run OF
the meadows and in the grain stub
Bile during a part of the year and ar
fed literally of the clover hay which
, is produced in abundance. They ar
always maintained in healthy, vigor
GUS condition and reach weights o
$50 pounds occasionally, a general av
!, erage being not far below 200 pounds
and the fleece is first class. A larg
share of their feed at certain season
Is cleaned from the arabic fields
where they clean up the weeds il
ditch and fence n in a thoroug1
manner. Few farms without shee,
r can compare with this in freedom fro1
!, the weeds that infest the neighbol
hood.
a Every farmer ought to have a SINAI
3 flock of sheep to keep down the weed:
fatten his pocketbook, and teach hir
thrift and industry.