WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 727 



pared for snow and extreme cold. Tho ranges in Montana are free Aonj liurrs and 

 generally well covered with grass. Our wool, tlierei'ore, when opened in niarlc<t is 

 clean and very attractive. The quality of wool from our well-bred flocks is unrivaled 

 hy auy wool in the United States, and it is far superiov to range wool produced else- 

 where between the Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean. 



Montana Husbandman, White Sulpliur Springs: 



"We would repeat our old admonition to wool-growers in regard to disposing of 

 their wool, to establish a rule and be governed accordingly; that is, if they have 

 established a rule to sell at home, to foUow that plan year in and year out. But if, 

 on the contrary, they have established a rule to ship, they should follow that just 

 as resolutely. As to which is best we are unable to say. For the past few years the 

 shippers have had the worst of it, but only a few years previous there was a decided 

 advantage in shipping. Hence, in summing up the results of ten years it is diffi- 

 cult to say which has proven best. 



The Northwestern Farmer and Breeder, St. Paul, Minn. : 



Bunch grass grows in clumps varying from 1 to 3 feet high. The leaves are long 

 and slender, growing numerously from the middle and lower part of the stem ; but 

 at the bottom no leaves occur, only dry without sheaths. The top or panicle is very 

 open and much branched, and from the tops of the very numerous slender branch- 

 lets grow the hard, nut-like flowers and seeds. The seeds are very nutritious (as 

 good as oats) and greatly relished by stock. This grass grows up early in season and 

 may be found in a comparatively green state late in the fall, long after the seeds 

 have ripened and fallen off. It flourishes best in sandy soil, where its long, fibrous 

 roots draw up the moisture. Bunch grass is exceedingly nutritious, and will grow in 

 what is considered the poorest soil. 



Extract from a paper on "Montana Wool," by H. M. Martin, in 1883: 



The grades of wool which are now in best demand, and which are likely to be for 

 years to come, are fine and fine medium staple and fine and fine medium clothing. 

 The term staple includes both combing and delaine, but not in this connection do I 

 apply it to tho very coarse, long combing wools. Get rid of your very coarse sheep 

 and breed for the above staple and quality, and you will hit the requirements of the 

 market almost every year. Now and then coarse wools will have a turn, as they did in 

 1879 and 1880, but these will be the exceptions, and even at such times the grades here 

 recommended will sell. The proper methods of mixing bloods so as to obtain the above 

 grades and staple are questions for practical sheep-breeders to determine. Depend 

 upon it, if growers will take proper care to produce wool answering the require- 

 ments of the above grades, as explained, and will pay proper attention and per- 

 sonally see that their wools are carefully tied up and packed, they will add to the 

 good reputation already so well begun, and keep Montana wools whore they belong. 



L. W. Peck, Fort Benton, in an address to Montana -wool-growers in 

 1883, says: 



If we wish to improve our business we must keep exact records in regard to what 

 we are doing. We do not appreciate now the vast importance that carefully collected 

 statistics in regard to matters connected with feeding, summer and winter manage- 

 ment, bucking, lambing, shearing, and many other matters would have for our in- 

 dustry if they could be collected and published. They would not only give great 

 satisfaction to us as showing just what we had done in years gone by, but would be 

 far more profitable than we now realize in giving us points upon which to improve. 

 In such matters a record is what we want, and not merely memory of what took 

 place a year or two ago. No one can say that we do not, as individuals, put energy 

 and intelligence into our work. We have a wool already that is a favorite in tho 



