The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-05-04


Of them sold for during the past
year. For example, an eighty
pound lamb on the hoof that costs
% cents per pound, stands the
packer $12.00. II requires prime
lambs to dress fifty per cent so that
leaves forty pounds of dressed lamb,
costing 80 cents per pound. Last
years credits on sheep pelts figured
about one dollar per pelt, leaving
the 40 pounds of lamb costing eleven
dollars or 27h cents per pound.
Sheep pelts generally carry about
seven pounds Of wool and ought to
be worth at least three dollars and
a half apiece, or so cents per pound
for the wool. Figuring the pelt
at three dollars and half, which
is very conservative, leaves the 40
pounds of lamb costing 81 Ia cents
per pound. Should lambs be selling
at cents per pound or the cheaper
lambs sell for on the hoof, the
greater will n reasonable pelt credit
cheaper the meat. For instance,
an so pound lamb at cents per
pound is six dollars and forty cents,
and with the wool at so cents per
pound, gives us our three and a half
dollar lamb pelt credit, leaving 40
pounds OF lamb costing two dollars
and ninety cents. There Is in an
average mans suit OF pure wool
clothes only from four to six pounds
OF wool. which does not figure
greatly TO the cost OF the suit OF
clothes even at one dollar a pound,
so IL is very plain that the con-
sumer is benenting even more than
the producer by wool selling at a
reasonable price. We did not
have enough sheep at the close Of
1920 but wool became almost worth
less. as we'll as sheep, with the re-
suit that tho producer shipped his
breeding stock 10 market. for as he
said, since wool was. worthless Il
did not pay TO keep sheep. There
fore, we are now up against n real
shortage In breeding sheep and n
short crop OF lambs Is in sight for
this year. and again the consumer
will have 10 settle. Wool ia the
regulator OF the sheep industry and
wool was almost worthless last year
80 sheep men could not get a
dollars worth OF credit and scores
OF them went broke. In many In.
stances ranchmen shipped their
sheep 10 market and did not re-
coiyo enough from their sale TO pay
the freight. This last is not n
mythical statement, and proof can
bo given II desired. The sheep In
dustry, or what is left OF II. has re-
oeived such n mortal wound from it's
last Fleeing that II will take several
years for II to recover. Just NJ
long as good wool is used to sell
Junk at fabulous prices the sheep
industry will remain dangerous
field for investment
Industry Must be Projected
We do not ask the farmer any
more II he would like to invest In
some sheep. Instead we ask him
how sheep look to him as a gamble
this year. We tried In vain TO In
terest some capital In feeding lambs
on the range last fall at Ave cents
per pound with choice alfalfa hay
10 feed them selling at four dollars
per ton. The men who had TO sell
their produce at those prices nearly
ELL went broke. However. since
wool began 10 move early last winter
sheep worked higher also and many
OF the lambs that we're bought last
fall as low as Ave cents per pound,
and fed out and made fat for the
are now selling around six
teen dollars per hundred on the
Chicago market. Our much af-
fficated friends, the consumer. we
notice is also paying the fiddler for
the present high priced perfor-
nance.
There are very few livestock loan
Ing agencies that will extend credit
10 a sheep man. There is no legiti-
mate reason for this; sheep are
freer from disease than any other
animal unless It is the goat. Govern
ment inspection OF sheep carcasses
II the market Is rigid and they state
hat diseased sheep oarcasses are al
most nil. There is no animal that
produces so much useful material
Is the sheep. Sheep will build up
! run down farm quicker and make
! good farm better than any other
animal. Why should such a val
liable animal TO a farm and such a
arge producer be such a dangerous
hing for sane investors? Exploita-
ion can be the only answer. When