WEST OF THE. MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 709 



cost of providing a sufficient amount of hay every year. One expe- 

 rience of heavy and unusual losses, however, seems sufficient to induce 

 them to modify their method, and ever after shelter and feed are 

 annually provided sufficient to sustain the stock through the stormy 

 period. 



The loss of sheep from all sources in Montana is so small that it may 

 seem incredible to those unfamiliar with the industry in this State. 

 The loss from the depredations of wild animals is less in comparison 

 than in any of the States or Territories southward in the Rocky 

 Mountain region, or the eastern slope of the same. The estimates of 

 the amount of yearly loss from this source, as reported by the sheep 

 owners, are from one-half to 1 or 2 per cent, although one report from 

 the Yellowstone country placed the loss as high as 10 per cent. Yet 

 after summarizing the reports for the whole State, the annual loss from 

 wild animals does not exceed 1 per cent of the sheep of the State. The 

 annual loss of sheep from exposure and other casualties is very much 

 larger; a conservative estimate for a series of years would place it at 5 

 per cent, the loss for any one year depending on the severity of the 

 winter. That the loss is not much greater, in view of the primitive 

 methods in vogue for conducting sheep husbandry, is a high tribute to 

 the endurance and constitution of the Montana-raised sheep. 



In regard to the effect on the constitution or the fleece of sheep 

 brought in from other States, the general opinion seems to be that 

 the change results in improvement, whether the sheep come from the 

 west, south, or east. The bulk of the sheep hitherto brought in have 

 come from Oregon, Washington, and other States and Territories west; 

 and this class of sheep stand the transition without any perceptible 

 change. But the climate of Montana is so salubrious that the only 

 change noted in the constitution of the animal is that it becomes 

 strengthened and less liable to disease than before. Sheep brought 

 from the south seem to attain greater size at maturity; the fleece be- 

 comes more dense, the fiber stronger, and the staple longer. The same 

 is true of sheep brought from the east, being bred more carefully and 

 not accustomed to the "rustling" methods. They do not show any 

 improvement until after they become acclimated, and they usually re- 

 quire more personal attention, but both the fleece and constitution 

 ultimately improve. The fleece becomes drier, more dense, and attains 

 greater length of staple. This is particularly true of the Merino sheep. 

 Of the medium or loug-wooled fleece there is no improvement in any 

 way, unless it may be a slight improvement in density. The fleece 

 does not deteriorate if the sheep are well fed. Sheep of all breeds 

 acclimate readily without any bad effects. 



The class of rams mainly in use previous to 1890 were full-blood, or 

 grade Merinos, with the Spanish or American type in the lead, and 

 only a fair proportion of the French. Since then there has been a 

 disposition to use rams of the mutton breeds more, but not to the total 



