The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-15

sssS ss0stiuog VI u0ec0B 6nOtn IN the pre-
ceding year. This difference Is slight
! than for one on April Is. owing to
the larger number of sheep sold after
shearirg and before enumeration: This
fact Is indicated by a comparison of
the data for 1910 and 1900.
The number of fleeces (42,220,6S0)
reported for 1909 was ~1,678,649 or 3.8
per cent less than that CAB. 999. 229) re-
ported for 1899-19OO, although the
number Of sheep Of shearing age on
hand April Is. 1910 was only O.5 per
cent les sthan the number reported on
June !. 1900. The difference in the
rates Of decrease Is doubtless n close
measure of tho number OF sheep
slaughtered or sold for slaughter un-
der average conditions between April
Is and June /. and therefore the num-
Der Of sheep of shearing age or farms
June /, 1910 was doubtless not far
from 3.S per cent fewer than that on
the corresponding date ten years be-
fore.
Increase i'm Wool
Comparison with tho figures for
1900 shows that although the total
number of wool bearing sheep de-
creased O.5 per cent. tho farms re-
porting sheep had on tho average thir-
teen more per farm in 1910 than in
1900. the figures being 85. and, 50. re-
s~pecttvely. This Is accounted for by
the fact that there was y decrease of
$4,000 or twenty per cent in the num-
Der Of farms reporting sheep. Only
90 per cent Of all farms report sheep
now, while 1913 per cen of all farms
had sheep in 1900. 1t is clear. there
fore that the industry is considerably
more concentrated than. in 1900.
Notwithstanding the decrease Of 3.8
- p~~A Sn Ah@ - 1890
was an increase in the aggregate
weight of all fleeces from ZIG, 1874
pounds in 1899-1900 to 2%s9.419.977
pounds in 1909, a gain of 12,852,393
pounds or 4.6 per cent. This was due
to an increase of one-half pound in
the average weight per fleece. from 6.3
pounds in 1S99-190O to 6.S pounds
in 1900.
The total value of wool produced in
creased from $45,670. 600 in 1899-1900
to $6~5.472,000 in 1909, a gain of $19,-
$4,000 or 43,4 per cent. As already
noted there fas some increase in guam
tity, but far more important in deter
mining this change in values was the
increase in the Valuet of wool from
II cents per pound in 1900 to 20
cents per poun din 1910.
Mountain Division Leads
Although only 81 per cent of the
610.912 farmers reporting sheep are
in the mountain division. they produce
wool reported for 1909. This is a
larger proportion Of the total than they
produced in 1899-19OO, 43.3 per cent.
Of all farmers reporting, 1862 per cent
are in the east north central division,
but they produced only 16 per cent
of all the wool. These two divisions
reported nearly two-thirds of the total
wool produced and approximately two
ffths of the farmers reporting. The
Pacific division comes third. produce
ing 11.S per cent of the wool. A rela-
lively small part of all wool produced
comes fro mthe other divisions, New
England reporting only O.8 per cent.
Increases and Decreases
In comparing the figures for the sew
eral geographic divisions at the two
censuses two very significant move
ments are clearly defined. The west
north central and mountain divisions
show increases in the number of
farms reporting sheep and in the
visios show decreases, usually in both
items.
The number Of farms reporting
sheep increased Al per cent in the
west north central division and 20 per
cent in the mountain division. In con-
trast, the west north central divi-
sion gained ILL., per cent in number
of wool bearing sheep and the noun
tain division 8.5 per cent. Because of
these changes the average number of
sheep of steering age increased from
81 to 33 per farm reporting in the west
north central division, while the ay-
'erage in the mountain division de-
creased from 1.421 to 1,195 per farm.
The number of fieeces shorn and the
weight and value Of wool made large
increases in both divisions.
There was q decrease in number of
farms reporting sheep in all seven 9TH
er divisions. accompanied by. a de-
in the number Of wool bearing
sheep in all except the east south GEN.
trail division, where an increase of 1.6
per cent Is recorded in Alabama and
Mississippi being more than counter
balanced by increases In Kentucky and
Tennessee. Decreases in the number
of fleeces accompanied the decreases
in wool bearing sheep.
Average Weight Per Fleece
Increases in the average weight Of
feeces are recorded nj all divisions Of
the United States except the south At
lantic and east south central, where
decreases Of one-tenth of a pound per
fleece are recorded.
The highest average weight Is found
in the mountain division, 7.3 pounds
per fleece. Next in order are the
east north central and Pacific divi-
-f--- - n -, A.