115 



throughout the middle and southern portions of the State. The 

 mortality amongst the sheep began during the winter, and rapidly 

 increased as the season advanced, compelling many owners to drive 

 their flocks into the mountains, where, and during their transit to 

 and from, large numbers were lost; others found temporary ranges 

 in the northern parts of the State, and in Nevada, also in Arizona 

 and New Mexico, from whence a portion may in all probability 

 return, should the coining season prove to be favorable. These dis- 

 asters have greatly diminished the wool growing capacity of the 

 State, from which it must take some time fully to recover. The loss, 

 however, has to some extent been counterbalanced by a large 

 increase in the northern counties. 



The receipts of spring clip show that the natural increase has been 

 lost, and the diminished production of fall wool furnishes evidence 

 of the great mortality amongst both sheep and lambs. 



Shearing during the fall has been general, and there will probably 

 be less long stapled wools than usual in the coming clip. The 

 drought will have the effect of improving the quality of the wool 

 hereafter, as naturally the poorest sheep have died, and owners in 

 reducing their flocks have, of course, retained the best. It has also 

 served to call attention to the advantages of green feed, as an excep- 

 tionally large number of sheep have been fed on tule lands and arti- 

 ficial grasses, such as alfalfa, etc., and in many cases the fall wool 

 from those sheep has been superior, being quite free from dust, and 

 very similar to spring avooIs in appearance and working properties. 

 Of the coming clip it is too early to form any estimate, but the 

 amount must be considerably less than last year. 



The wool product of eighteen hundred and seventy-seven has been 

 inferior to that of the preceding year, more of the wools being dusty, 

 and the long stapled spring clips were generally in poorer condition. 

 The unusually large proportion of short stapled, dusty wools, resem- 

 bling those of the fall clip, coming on the market, may be accounted 

 for by the scarcity of food and consequent suffering of sheep. 



Fall wools, also, were generally inferior, although better than was 

 anticipated. The falling off in the receipts from the south was very 

 marked. The spring and fall clips of the extreme northern coun- 

 ties were, however, above the average, both in condition and staple. 



The market has been good. Spring wools were moved readily, and 

 until late in the season without any excitement or marked fluctua- 

 tion in prices. During July the market here sympathized in the 

 activity prevailing in other wool growing States, and prices reached 

 a point which subsequent events have shown to be unwarranted. 

 When fall wools began to arrive stocks were very light. Receipts 

 were at first small, but as they increased stocks unsold became larger. 

 As prices were lower than growers anticipated they were at first 

 inclined to hold. At the beginning of November stocks were large, 

 but since that time the demand has been good, and the warehouses 

 here contain less than the amount usual at this time. 



Prices during the spring were much higher than those ruling in 

 eighteen hundred and seventy-six. Average stapled free wools 

 opened at seventeen cents to nineteen cents, and maintained these 

 rates during the season for good lots, and fourteen cents to fifteen 

 cents for dusty and unsightly parcels. Southern wools ranged from 

 fifteen cents to nineteen cents, according to staple condition and 

 freedom from bur. Northern wools brought from twenty-six cents 



