The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-03-28
GO INTO SHEEP
AS SIDE ISSUE
Is. @. WHITE TELLS OF SUCCESS
OF HIS BUFFALO NEIGH
BORIS IN SHEEP.
They Rah Small Flocks on Their
Farms and Eeveryone of Them
Made Money; Some Individual Sue
cesses Cited.
BY B. C. WHITE

by ID. Y. w nl1E
In all recorded history sheep have
been profitable adjunct to agricul
tural prod uction. The economic sit
uation in the sheep business the
world over, is very strong and the
prospects are that sheep would be a
very profitable addition to all farm.
| ing activities.
The federal beureau of farm mar
kets, after world survey of the
sheep business reported in January
1928 a world shortage of At percent
of sheep. Sir Robert Goldfinch, an
Australian authority, estimates the
shortage of fine wool sheep in Au-
STRATA of 331 percent. The shortage
of the world wool clip for 1923 is
anywhere from 250,000,OOO to 3OO,-
100000 pounds. The sheep shortage
in Montana, compared to 1904, is g.
100000 head. In other words, in
1904 there were in Montana $685.
900 head of sheep and in 1923 it is
reported that there are 2,28O,OOO
head. The wool clip of 1904 in Mon
tana was 37,773,000 pounds and in
1928 the wool clip was approximate
ly 100000. Since 1919 the num-
Der of sheep in the United States
have decreased 25 per cent but at
the present time there is a gradual
increase, as farmers are beginning
to appreciate the value of sheep in
small punches on the farm.
The range is practically gone and
if there is any increase in the sheep
in the United States it has got to
come from the small farmers. And
it seems a surprising thing that
among the great majority of people
and that applies to Montana, as there
is no line of agriculture that is so
little understood as sheep husbandry. |
New lea me give a few examples |
of what sheep do in small punches !
on Montana farms. Now here is
Scott Hayden. He has so ewes and |
he raised Sc lambs. All told he
sheared 100 head of sheep and his
sheep averaged over IL pounds per
head. He received in advance on his
wool of 1865 at 35 cents a pound
md he will undoubtedly receive 1 0
,ents more before the deal is closed
Here is another neighbor of mine,
Wyman Morse. From 80 ewes he
'aised IA lambs and sheared all told
n 1928 118 head His sheep aver
Lged IL pounds of wool per head,
IT 1923 pounds. He received a cash
.dvance on his wool of $$5O3.30 and
e will receive more money. Here is
mother neighbor ]. F. Kessel. He
ad 16 ewes and raised 20 lambs.
lie sheared 1928 pounds of wool and
ad cash advance of S131.60 or
5 cents pound. He will receive
lore money. In the same neighbour
God is John Phillips with 81 ewes.
lie raised % lambs and he sheared
IL told Al sheep. The Al sheep
heared 587 pounds of wool, an av-
rage Ia IL pounds per head. He
eceived cash advance of $195.45.l
ecently he has returns from the
oston house that handled his wool
nd some of his wool has sold for SO
snts and some for 81 cents on the
oston market. All these men are
uffalo farmers, and their small !, :
ocks are side issues. =
For four years in Montana it has
sen a procession of hard years and
ard luck stories. But it seems al
ost impossible to impress upon the
inds of farmers, generally, the val
} of sheep, the sure income from
em, the two crops absolutely sure
cry year of wool and lambs, as well II
the shortage of sheep the world II
-er. Consumption is running ahead
production and the world is in II
led of wool. II
AS concrete example of what II
lall punches of sheep will do the
ne farmers around Buffalo who are
ming small punches of sheep re- II