966 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



are kept out of the mountain ranges the industry for the States of California, Nevada, 

 and Oregon is irretrievably ruined, as it is impossible to make it jiay if sheep are 

 kept in the hot valleys on dry feed in the summer. I know that from experience in 

 California. What harm sheep do the forests I never could see, and after years of 

 experience in the mountains I believe that they are a benefit instead of a detriment. 

 The argument that the sheepmen burn over the ranges is not tenable, as nothing is 

 more detrimental to their ranges than to have a fire sweep over them. I will venture 

 the assertion, without fear of successful contradiction, that there are not as careful 

 men about fire in the mountains during thfe summer as the sheepmen. Those advocat- 

 ing their exclusion are ignorant of the facts in the case, and, I am sorry to say, most 

 of the war waged against them has originated in my State. 



In moving to and from the mountains is where sheepmen and their stock suifer 

 most. We thoroughly doctor our sheep about the 1st of May, and then do our best 

 to get sheep and dogs in condition to start about the 10th or 15th. In taking a flock 

 of 2,500 or 3,000 we use two extra men, one to help the two herders drive and an- 

 other to drive wagon and attend to camp. We always take a wagon as far as pos- 

 sible and then discard it and use pack animals the rest of the way. The trip up and 

 down is a hard one on sheep, and there is but little feed for long distances in the 

 footliills. In furnishing our sheep camps we have supplies hauled by wagon as far 

 as possible, and pack from that into camp. As to keeping different bands of sheep 

 from mixing, that is the herder's business. He knows his bounds and aims to re- 

 spect his neighbor's rights ; but in case some of his sheep should escape and get among 

 his neighbor's, they are corralled, separated, and driven to his own flock. Each aims 

 to respect the other's rights. 



Third. The no-fence law, where the land is used for grain and fruit raising as well 

 as grazing, works well, and I believe that it is right; if I have stock I should be 

 compelled to take care of them and keep them from trespassing on my neighbor. 

 However, in the mountains, fencing is not practicable, as the snows of winter will 

 destroy even a barbed wire fence. So the only resort there is to herd. I am a 

 strong advocate of the State bounty law for the destruction of enemies to sheep. 

 The scalp law, on coyotes alone, is now costing the State of California about 

 $160,000 per annum. I can hardly see the necessity for a scab law, for it seems to 

 me that any man who saw fit to put his capital in sheep would take interest enough 

 in the development of that capital to keep the scab out of his flock if possible. It 

 is, however, an utter impossibility to entirely eradicate it in the warm climate of 

 California. It is not, however, as troublesome on the alkali plains of Nevada. A 

 tax on dogs, I think, should be laid so heavy as to cause the extermination of all 

 worthless curs in the State. They are sometimes more destructive than wild ani- 

 mals. My neighbor within two weeks has had sixty head of fine breeding ewes de- 

 stroyed by two dogs that no one will claim. Tax dogs by all means; it will work 

 no hardship on the general public, and do away with many dogs that are a perpetual 

 nuisance to our neighbors. 



Fourth. The policy of withdrawing the mountainous portions of the several West- 

 ern States from sale and entry would be one of the best things that could be done if 

 the idea of forest preservation is to be carried out. If rented to stockmen they 

 would have an interest in preserving the timber. But I fear the time has passed for 

 that m California, as there is hardly a township of laud in the mountains that has 

 not one or two locations upon it. These would destroy its value as a range unless 

 the parties could be bought off. Had the idea been acted on twenty years a-^o it 

 would have been an excellent one; and in certain sections it would still be practi- 

 cable. RefeiTing again to the exclusion of sheep from the mountain ranges, if such a 

 thing should ever be done, we must dispose of our flocks and get out of the business, 

 as we could not keep them in the hot, dry lowlands during the summer months and 

 produce a wool that would be of any use for manufacturing purposes 

 Yours truly, 



J. S. Mariner. 



