598 



BULLETIN No. 129. 



[November, 





PLATE 12. GOOD YEARLINGS. NOTE THE HEAVY PELTS AND THE DEFICIENCY 



IN CONDITION. 



Occasionally either pronounced coarseness, or underfinished 

 condition combined with heavy weight place yearlings in a grade 

 still lower than good, but offerings of this description do not really 

 play the role of yearlings but of wethers, and they usually sell on 

 a par with wethers. 



WETHERS 



This sub-class is composed of mature castrated males. Since 

 comparatively few native wethers appear upon the market, this 

 class is looked upon as chiefly a western product. It is claimed 

 that there are fewer wethers reaching the markets each year, and 

 if the demand for dressed lamb continues to grow at its present 

 pace, and if transportation lines are extended through all range 

 districts as present indications would lead us to suppose they will 

 be, it is felt that the proportionate number of wethers will continue 

 to decrease. Just now the rangeman has place for wethers if his 

 location is such that the shipment of animals is difficult and ex- 

 pensive; if he has very cheap grazing lands, and can produce his 

 animals at very low cost; or if he has too few breeding sheep to 

 run his ranch at its full capacity. When high prices are ruling for 

 both mutton and wool, wethers will more than pay their way on 

 almost any range, but when the profit they yield is compared with 

 that from breeding ewes rangemen immediately see that the latter 



