WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 725 



ble, as tlic writers are qualifled to speak from personal cxix'ricnce iti 

 the business, or from having been long identified and familiar with it. 



Bottle & Bradley, Chico, Park County: 



Sheep should have salt every two weeks. They should be fed sulphur with their 

 salt through July and August, as the sulphur helps to keep ticks off, and make the 

 sheep healthy. They should also he dipped once a year, as it aids the growth of 

 wool, and is a preventive for ticks and soah. We use tobacco for dip, but most of 

 the sheepmen use sulphur and lime. 



0. W. Cook, TJnity, Meagher County : 



In general there are no "bad lands" in this county. The number of barren ewes 

 in a band depends largely on management, and on the weather in December, as 

 sheep losing flesh will not " come in." We have but few diseases, in fact no general 

 disease, except scab, which was very detrimental to the industry until the law gave 

 us protection. 



Thomas Kent, Big Timber, Park County: 



There are about 52,000 sheep on the Crow Indian Reservation. Milo Collins is the 

 only Indian owning sheep on this reserve. The Indians could do well with sheep if 

 the agent or interpreters would encourage them, but instead they seem opposed to 

 doing so. 



N. C. Brockway, Musselshell, Yellowstone County: 



The sheep industry is progressing in this part of the country, but as the ranges 

 become stocked to their full capacity, we shall be obliged to pay more attention to 

 raising hay and to winter feeding. At present we often winter sheep with no hay 

 whatever but I think more hay and better shelter would produce better returns. 



Robert J. Martin, Billings, Yellowstone County: 



Nine years' experience in the county has fully satisfied me that it is always best to 

 have forty tons of hay for each 1,000 sheep, as security through the winter. With 

 a good shed and open water you are well situated for business. 



D. H. Bowman, Miles City, Custer County: 



The outlook is brighter for the sheepmen this year than for years past. There has 

 been a tendency among some of our sheepmen to breed to the coarse wools, such as 

 Oxfords and Shropshires, but I do not think it a success. 



W. W. Beasley, Eosebud, Custer County: 



We have a splendid sheep country, dry climate and no rain in winter, dry snow, 

 and we don't require feed unless the snow gets over twelve inches deep. We do not 

 feed anv more than five weeks. There is probably ono-teuth of our breeders that 

 are using coarse-wool bucks to increase the size of the sheep, but as we are a wool- 

 growiu" country, our mutton sheep are the best Western sheep that go to Chicago. 

 I am a large shipper of mutton from here. They average in Chicago about XIO to 

 115 pounds. 

 J. H. Eice, Fort Benton, Ohoteau County : 



I have every reason to believe that the sheep industry in Montan.a is to-day on a 

 firm and profitable basis. I know of no instance, after a twelve years' acquaintance 

 with the country, where failure has occurred, provided the party or parties had capi-- 

 tal enouo-h to start in proper shape. And we have numerous instances where men 

 are to-day prosperous and independent, who a few years since were getting their 

 start under the share system. 



