The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-10-07
SHEEPNEN HOPEFUL AS
MARKET TRENDS UP
Improvement In Situation in Large Part
Due to Confidence In Harain9's Eice-
ton.
portland oregonian)

There has been a decided improve
ment in the sheep market recently. VAL
ues have advanced with heavy buying
and sheepmen view the future with
confidence. The trading operations Of
the last month have almost cleaned the
producing sections east of the noun
. tains of feeder and breeding stock. The
growers ascribe not a little OF the i'm
provement to the practical certainty Of
Mr.. Hardlng's election.
Two months ago sheep values in cas-
tern Oregon and idaho were almost
nominal There was no demand, and
with no buyers in the field there was
no market. The prospect was anything
but encouraging to sheepmen. Thru
out the east and west prices were on
the downgrade and the growers faced
winter season that seemed to promise
serious financial losses.
All this has now been changed and
the condition that exists is one of
strength. Buying in the sheep coun-
tries has become brisk. with prices
steadily advancing. and the demand for
feeders is greater than the supply. The
heavy purchasing Of breeding ewes
demonstrates plainly the confidence Of
| sheepmen that the industry Is on a
sound basis. There Is a shortage Of
sheep, as well as cattle and other live
stock. In the country and when the
markets become adjusted to the new
economic basis the supply condition
should keep prices stable. This read
! justment has already taken place in the
sheep industry.
Warehouse Man Optimistic.
T. J. Mahoney. generaI manager OF
the Columbia Basin Wool Warehouse
company. who has just returned from a
trip rthough Idaho, found the sheep
market in excellent shape in that state.
THE country is in good physical
condition" said Mr.. Mahoney. There
was a fine corn crop and a big hay
yield and with feed in abundance the,
sheep industry has taken on new life.
Buying has been very active of late, to
such an extent that the feeder lambs
have now been almost entirely sold out
Ordinarily q good many feeders are
still left unsold at this time of the
year.
sections like Condor and Heppner
do not produce early lambs, but go in
for feeders These have all been
cleaned up in these sections in the past
two weeks.
Ten cents a pound Is being paid for
mixed lambs in the country now. They
were selling as low as cents earlier
in the season.
With the lambs gone, the wethers
are beginning to move. Two-year- -oids
were sold at Nampa at cents, which
is almost as much as they are bring
ing in the markets
Ewes In Good Demand.
Trading in ewes has become very
brisk. Two outfits in Harvey county
sold their ewes '270O in one bunch and
1900 in the other, two and three-year-
olds at s13 head and several punches
Of yearling ewes were sold at s11.5o to
s13 head. These prices are less than
prevailed last year, but considerably
more than ewes were selling for recent
ly. Sixty days ago they could not be
sold at all
"a feature Of the trading Is the de-
mand that has come from Montana for
Oregon ewes. Both breeding stock and
feeders are wanted at advancing prices
throughout the country because of the
abundance and reasonable price OF feed.
"Stockmen feel that the bottom OF
the sheep market has been reached and
there is everywhere confidence that the
sheep situation will further improve"