WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVEE, 809 



George A. Bradshaw, Beaver, Beaver Comity: 



We are using French Merino rams ; some few use the Spanish and others the De- 

 laine. Our sheep shear 7 pounds of medium to medium fine wool. We run from 

 2,000 to 2,500 sheep in a flock, have a team and wagon, and keep moving from place 

 to place, only halting during lambing season and to shear the sheep. The average 

 price paid for help is $30 and hoard. I have been engaged in the sheep business over 

 fifteen years, and I am satisfied with it. 



William Probert, Prove, Utah County : 



While some few are breeding to the Downs, the majority of owners are satisfied 

 with the French Merino. We own our summer range and herd on Government land 

 in the winter. In winters we sometimes have severe storms and cold spells of 

 weather, from which occasionally heavy losses occur, and frequently in lambing sea- 

 son if the weather is unfavorable we meet with severe losses. 



J. M. Jensen, Box Elder, Box Elder County : 



Here in northern Utah I use the mountain country for summer range, and in win- 

 ter the low hills and flats ; and during the worst weather I feed alfalfa hay. By sep- 

 arating my breeding ewes from my stock sheep I save 85 to 100 per cent of my lambs. 

 My average clip is 7 pounds. Prices range from $2 to $4 per head for muttons or 

 stockers, and their average weight is 120 pounds. The average wages paidherders 

 and campmen per month is $35 to $40, so that the average cost of all expenses is 75 

 cents per head annually. 



James Whittaker, Junction, Pinte County: 



The elass of sheep here is Merino grades, upon which some use the Merino or Cots- 

 wold ram. As our sheep must be kept up, we fix a day and a large number of expert 

 shearers soon strip a flock of their fleeces. To make a success of the business re- 

 quires close and careful attention — move camp every eight or ten days during lambing 

 season, guard night and day to keep away the coyotes, and never let the scab get the 

 start of you, but use the best dips often. The outlook is not bright on account of 

 the low price of wool, legislative enactments requiring us to keep away from moun- 

 tain streams near villages, etc. 



A. McFarland, Weber, Weber County: 



Our profits from sheep here have been very satisfactory. The land is not very rich 

 naturally, but by feeding sheep upon it in the winter we have so increased its fertil- 

 ity that land producing but 15 bushels of wheat to the acre has been made to yield 

 50 bushels. Having the use of the Government land during the summer, the long- 

 est season with us, it makes the expense light, not to exceed $1 per head. We own 

 about 13,000 sheep, sometimes more and sometimes less, owing to our sales. Our 

 flock averages 6-pound fleeces. 



Ralph H. Hunt, Weber, Weber County: 



Last winter was a severe one on sheep in our section, and then the late, cold, 

 stormy spring has been a, hard one on sheep that were shorn early, and in many 

 cases heavy losses have occurred among the lambs. Our present grazing prospects 

 were never better, owing to the unusual late rains. Those who winter their sheep 

 on the desert west of Salt Lake do not feed or shelter, but we do on this side of the 

 lake. Our feed is alfalfa hay almost exclusively, which can not be surpassed by any 

 kind of feed that grows, and we harvest about three crops per year, or about 8 tons 

 per acre. 

 John S. Painter, Nephi, Juab County: 



Our summer range in the mountains usually is very good, with plenty of water 



