Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1916-11-10

"SOA ~
years is 25,000,000 pounds with a to-
tai value of S ,50O,O00, according to
John d. Holiday, president of the
Escalliar Sheep company and presi-
dent of the National Wool Ware
house association, who says wool from
this state has sold at an average OF
80 cents a pound. Other estimates
place the value of the wool production
as high as $S,927 $40.
Whether the lower of the higher es-
innate is accepted, the value of the
output exceeds that Of 1915, when 49,
6S2, 200 pounds of raw wool brought
a return of $7,302,437. AS result of
the high prices-higher than at any
time since the seventies-the present
year has been the most prosperous in
the history of the industry. While
the production of wool measured by
the number Of pounds may have fall
len off, the quality Of the product is
gradually being enhanced and more
attention is being paid to grading and
sorting.
MANY OF Larger ElOcKS
Of State Cut Down.
Mr.. Holiday points out that the
sheep business in Montana is under
going the same change that has been
in progress in the cattle business for
10 years or more, the settlement of
the open range making it necessary to
cut down many of the larger flocks of
the state. Yet, while the bands are
becoming smaller, more people IRE en-
gaging in the raising Of sheep.
The change in the character of
the sheep industry bears an important
relation to the principles Of diversi-
fled farming, which only in the past
five years have been given attention
in this state. In the early history of
the sheep industry wool was the main
asset. In recent years, however, the
price of mutton has made the lamb
crop a valuable source of income to
the range sheep owner, and ON the
farm with a high grade flock, NUT
ton is receiving even more attention.
Sheep return two crops a year, wool
and mutton, which are always in de-
mand at present at exceptionally high
prices. AS hay is the main article of
diet sheep may be cheaply kept. AS
a recent experiment station report
points out, they act as scavengers of
the farm, cleaning up weeds in pas
lures, fields and fence rners The
weed seeds eaten by sheep do not
terminate, a condition that is not
true Of most other farm animals.
Sheep will thrive with other live
stock, at least where the small flock
is considered.
Sheep Breeding on Farm
May Be Started Cheaply.
R. F. Miller, formerly assistant an
imal husbandman at the experiment
station of the Montana agricultural
college at BOzeman, now a member of
the faculty of the University of Cali
fornia, writes in this connection:
"While some people claim that
there is danger hat sheep will kill
the pastures, this is contrary to ex
| perience On the farm. The pastures
| Of England are the densest in the
world, and in no place do we find
land more thickly stocked with sheer
than in Great Britain. Sheep manure
is the most valuable produced on the
farm, and as the sheep are pastured
most of the year, If is we'll distributed
over the fields. Finally, sheep breed.
ing on the farm may be started very
cheaply, as a small flock costs but lit
tie and is grows in numbers gradually
as the owner grows in experience"
Ebert Hubbard remarked: cit i.
a wise farmer who turns his grair
into livestock before marketing"
Stock Growing Conserves
Fertility of Soil.
"Not only is it more profitable
adds G. A. Ryther, vice president O.
the Livestock Exchange National banl
of Chicago, "but it puts back into thu
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