THE SHEEP INDUSTRY ON THE MINIDOKA PROJECT. 



25 



these is pooled and sold cooperatively. As yet the owners of small 

 farm flocks have not adopted the cooperative method, but sell inde- 

 pendently to a local or a traveling buyer. As a shipment of wool 

 bought from a large number of men varies greatly as to the grade and 

 quality, as well as to the methods of classifying and packing, the 

 price must necessarily be lower than if uniform systems of shearing, 

 grading, classifying, and tying were used and the combined clips from 

 the different farms pooled and sold together. Wool is bought in the 

 field at any time from February until after shearing. Table IV shows 

 the prices received for a number of representative carload shipments 

 of wool loaded at project points in 1915 and 1916. 



Table III. — - Shipments of sheep and lambs from the Minidoka Reclamation Project from 



May 1 to December 31, 1916. 



May 



June. 



July 



August 



September . 



October 



November . 

 December. . 



Total 



Number 

 of cars. 



Range in 

 weight. 



Pounds. 

 60 to 74 



64 to 108 

 60 to 95 

 50 to 90 



65 to 105 

 70 to 98 

 68 to 97 

 74 to 107 



50 to 108 



Average 

 weight. 



Pounds. 



Prices f. o. b. 

 project points. 



Per 



$9.00 

 6.50 

 7.50 

 7.00 

 7.00 

 6.00 

 8.00 

 8.00 



cwt. 

 to $9. 50 

 to 9.00 

 to 8.25 

 to 8.50 

 to 7.75 

 to 8.50 

 to 9.25 

 to 9.50 



6. 00 to 9.50 



Table IV. — Range of prices received for representative shipments of wool on the Minidoka 

 Reclamation Project in 1915 and 1916. 



Number 

 of cars. 



Prices per 

 pound. 



1916 



Number 

 of cars. 



Prices per 

 pound. 



April 

 May. 

 June. 



Cents. 

 23 to 24 

 17 to 24? 

 22i to 26' 



Cents. 

 28 to 29 

 25 to 30 

 28 to 32 



There is need for much improvement in the methods now practiced 

 in marketing both lambs and wool, and it is expected that numerous 

 improvements will be made as the industry develops. 



FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY. 



Judging by the demand for information regarding the problems of 

 sheep production on the Minidoka project during the past year, it 

 is probable that the industry will experience a marked expansion. 

 Many farmers who formerly were apathetic have become interested 

 and are seeking inf crmation. All the factors influencing the extension 

 of the farm sheep industry on the project are favorable. The farmers 



