WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 



795 



officials of the State have taken great pains to investigate the mining 

 industries, the cattle business, and the irrigation enterprises, and have 

 endeavored to collect all the valuable information possible regarding 

 them for their own benefit, as well as for the edification of the general 

 public both at home and abroad. The sheep industry, however, has 

 been slighted; yet as a matter of fact there is no industry in Colorado 

 that pays as large a percentage of profit on the investment or gives em- 

 ployment to as many persons for the same amount of capital employed. 

 This significant statement is verified by the facts, and is an important 

 item regarding the resources of Colorado. 



The only counties in the State which did not receive taxes from sheep 

 property during 1890 were Baca, Clear Creek, Dolores, Fremont, Gil- 

 pin. Hinsdale, Montezuma, Pitkin, and Sedgwick. The leading coun- 

 ties represented in the sheep industry are Arapahoe, Elbert, El Paso, 

 Huerfauo, Lincoln, Las Animas, Weld, Montrose, and Archuleta. In 

 regard to the statement that has become current, that there are a 

 smaller number of sheep in Colorado than there were two years ago, I 

 have no hesitation in now saying, after fully investigating the matter, 

 that it is a mistake. It is true that since 1888 an unusual number of 

 sheep have been either shipped or driven out of the State, yet in this 

 number there should be included a large number that were brought in 

 from Oregon and New Mexico for the very purpose of selling to feed- 

 ers. The increase of Colorado flocks during this period exceeded the 

 number consumed within the State and those shipped or driven out; 

 but these two sources of decrease together will not equal the number 

 that have been increased by the lamb crops since 1888 by at least 

 100,000 head. 



The report of the Statistician for the U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 for January and February, 1891, gives the numbers and values of farm 

 animals for Colorado as follows: 



The Statistician's reports are ordinarily very accurate, and accepted 

 as such 5 but as far as Colorado is concerned the numbers of both cat- 

 tle and sheep are placed too high, and the average value of cattle is 

 also in excess of actual value. 



This report also places the average value of each sheep in the United 

 States at $2.50, and places the average value of Colorado sheep at 

 $^.37. On this basis the only States or Territories west of the Missis- 

 sippi Eiver that equal or exceed the average value of sheep in this 

 State are Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Dakota, Montana, Utah, and 

 Washington; and, with the exception of Utah, none have nearly so 

 many sheep. This is certainly a creditable comparison for Colorado. 



