124 SURVEYS OF FOREST RESERVES. 



essary for wintering his sheep. Such a ranch represents a capital of 

 about $5,000 or $6,000. The following is a fair estimate of the cost of 

 running, that is, maintaining, a band of 2,000 ewes for a year in a typical 

 place in Sherman County: 



Taxes, 21 mills per dollar, on an assessed valuation of $2 per head $84 



Herder, 12 months, at $30 per month , 360 



Packer, 5 months, at $30 per month 150 



"Grnb," that is food provisions, for the herder and packer, at $10 per month 



each 170 



Rental of winter range, 6 months 100 



Shearing, at 5 cents per head 100 



Wheat hay sufficient for 40 davs, at the rate of 3 tons for 100 sheep, at $7 per 



ton ; 420 



Salt, 100 pounds per week, at 50 cents per 100, plus $1 per 100 for freighting 



to summer range during 20 weeks 46 



Hauling wool to the railroad, at 40 cents per 100 pounds, the estimated clip, 



that is, the amount of wool sheared, being 8 pounds per sheep 64 



Extra help for 1 month during the lambing season, that is, the season when 



the lambs are born, at the rate of 1 man for 200 ewes, at a salary of $30 per 



month 300 



Outfit for herder and packer, including horses, pack saddles, tent, and bedding. 25 

 Bucks, that is, rams, at the rate of 2 bucks per 100 ewes, replaced every 2 



years, at an average cost of $10 each 200 



Summering bucks, which are run in bands separate from the ewe bands, at $1 



each 40 



Total 2,059 



The actual expenditure on a band of sheep of course varies with many 

 conditions, such as the distance of the ranch from a railroad, the owner 

 raising his own hay or acting as his own packer, the necessity of rent- 

 ing private range, the size of the band, etc., but iu general the esti- 

 mated cost of running sheep is 75 cents to $1 per head. Sheep owners 

 are accustomed to estimate that the cost of running a band of slieep will 

 be paid by the sale of the wool, while the increase represent probable 

 profits. 



Sometimes sheep are leased, the annual rental varying from 40 cents 

 to $1 per head, according to the condition of the wool aud mutton 

 market, the lessee returning to the owner as many ewes as he received, 

 'and taking the increase as part of his profits. Sometimes, particularly 

 when the lessee is a young man getting a start in the business, the 

 rental paid is half the wool aud half the increase. 



The sheep of eastern Oregon are chiefly of Merino stock, but the 

 increasing profitableness of good mutton sheep has induced many of 

 the owners to introduce Shropshire blood. This movement appears to 

 be successful, particularly with careful management of the bands. An 

 annual increase of 90 to 100 per cent is quite feasible and is really 

 secured by sound methods, where careless methods give an increase 

 of only 50 per cent to 60 per cent. 



YEARLY ROUTINE. 



The yearly routine of a band up to the time of starting for the moun- 

 tains in the spring may be given briefly as follows: When the sheep 

 are brought back iu the autumn from their summer range during the 

 month of October, the bands are readjusted, the breeding ewes going 

 in one group, the wethers, lambs, and dry ewes in another. For about 

 a month — usually beginning between October 20 and November 1 — the 

 bucks are allowed to run with the ewes. They are herded on range 

 land near the owner's ranch, seldom going more than a day's drive 

 from headquarters. At this season the fall rains have started the grass, 



