Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-04-17
FEEDSHEEPONWEEDS
A PALOUSE FARMER CARED FOR
SEVERAL HUNDRED HEAD ON
AUSTRALIAN SALT BUSH.
OTHER FARMERS CAN Do THE SANE
Experiments Show That the Disposed
Weed Is Really of vaIue-Makes
Good Wool, but Not Of Much
Account for Fat.

| Account for Fat.
The remarkable success recently
achieved by Mr.. Y. G.. Mansfield, If
Endicott, Wash, in fattening several
hundred head Of sheep on the Australi-
an salt bush has created an interest
in this once despised weed which is
rapidly spreading thu oughout the
Northwest states.
One result of Mr.. Mansfields exper-
iment is that other farmers on whose
acres the weed grows have come to
look upon what was formerly consid-
cred absolutely worthless land as
real bonanza, and they are now pre-
pairing to turn their attention from the
raising of hogs and wheat to sheep,
with the assurance that, under Ordin-
airy conditions they can hardly fall
short of Mr.. Mansfield's success.
They see opened before them what
is practically a virgin field of sheep
raising. offering wonderful POSSIBLE
tiles.
AS soon as the value of the salt bush
as a forage crop becomes generally
known it will undoubtedly be Gull
tivated in other sections of the coun-
try. AS matter of fact, it is now
found along the highways from Ari-
IONA to Washington, but very few
people know its true name and fewer
know that it is valuable plant. In
Eastern Oregon it is generally known
| as the Pendleton Stood weed, and has
, been looked upon as such pest that
. there is law against allowing it to
go to seed.
ever, it is really of more value to
Eastern Oregon than the alfalfa plant,
for not only is it far better feed for
sheep, but it will grow on the most
! arid land, and practically requires no
attention after once getting stand
as it grows in hard, firm soil better
> than on loose, well-cultivated land.
: Mr. Mansfields experience, as re
! lated by him to the writer, who was
r fortunate to visit the farm at time
: when a thousand Head Of sheep had
!, just been turned into a new pasture
of the salt bush, reads like a fairy
|. story.
EARNED 5000 Acres.
o For several years Mr.. Mansfield
= farmed 5000 acres of land, all of which
q was wheat land with the exception o.
n $50 acres. which were sub-irigated al
falfa land. Finally the land became 81
foul with Russian thistle and jim
Hill mustard that this, together will
u the high cost of labor and the low
3 price of wheat, made it impossible fol
a him to longer continue in the growing
u of wheat alone without also keeping
T. live stock to help pay the living ex
penses.
" Accordingly two years ago, he de
% cided to invest in a flock of sheep
q that he made this discovery which h
n has since turned to such good account
\. Along the road near the MANSFIELD
q farm the salt bush grew in abundance
d and to Mr.. Mansfield's intimate sur
prise the sheep began feeding upon i
greedily.
r He figured on the spot that he ha.
. destroyed $500 worth of good sheel
feed that year, besides wasting !,
u great deal of labor, trying to get rit
4. of the weed
= Pastured 1000 Sheep.
70 Last summer he pastured his entire
flock of 1000 sheep on the salt bush
with the most astounding results. TIL,
>. sheep were not exceedingly fat, bu
g. their wool was of superior quality
% Several neighboring farmers will
r small bands of sheep followed Mr.
u Mansfield's experiment, and thei
lie sheep also were in much better shap,
ID than those that were taken to tn,
,e mountains during the Summer.
During a period of two weeks las
:, Summer Mr.. Mansfield's flock of 100
- sheep were kept on less than five acre
= of ground that was growing the Aus
:, tralian salt bush, and they did no
~ clean the feed all up at that. Thes'
= five acres of land were two feed yard
- where he had fed stock for years, an,
~ consequently they grew an immens'
amount of weed, but ordinarily dr..
L land. which will not practically grow
anything else, will produce this weed
IN Later in the Summer Mr.. MANSFIELD,
,e made some hay of the weed, but OF
.. account Of the scarcity of labor wa
v. not able to haul 1t out Of the shock
n. He had to turn his sheep through thi
20 hay to the stubble field, where Their,
. was plenty of other pasture, and the,
:. would stop and eat this hay. The.
:. cleaned 1t all up and saved the trou
- BILE of hauling it in.
s. Salt Bush As Feed.
Is Mr.. Mansfield is not only very en-
e. thusiastic about the salt bush as
ly food for sheep, but believes it is goo,
is feed for other stock also. Hogs, cat
tie and horses, he states, eat 1t some
and he believes that they would lear
10 to like it as well as sheep do II the.
il were confined short time on II
? Sheep, he adds, must be confined on I
a day or two before they relish II
. Then they go to 1t with avidity. The.
In ,nh ~