150 Western Live-stock Management 
practically eliminated with the use of high wire fences, 
but the expenses of handling sheep are greatly lessened. 
To what extent fencing will be practiced in this country 
cannot be foretold, but it is the general opinion among the 
best informed range-men that, since the most tillable 
land has been put under cultivation, the next step will 
be the fencing of those parts suitable only for grazing. 
There are so far three great obstacles in the way of ex- 
tensive fencing. The first is the cost, the second is the 
drifting snow over these fences in the winter, and the 
third is that most of the grazing land is not under private 
ownership. 
COSTS AND PROFITS OF A RANGE EWE 
Based on figures gathered in 1914, the cost and profit 
on a range ewe can be taken as follows: 
Costs 
Interest on ewe at 8 percent. . . . $.40 
Shearing, packing, and marketing wool . .15 
Depreciation! . . — . . 42 
150 lb. of hay at 4¢a pound & 3 Bom atb 
Loss on ewes by death . . . . 10 
Cost of range (summer and winter range) .50 
Labor aside from lambing . . . . . . .80 
Extra labor forlambing. . . . e #202) 
Upkeep, depreciation, and interest on 
camp tender’s outfit aetna shed ee cal, 
Totalicost . «< «© «© © & + « « & $3.54 
Income 
10 pounds wool be sO ee ae ee ea a LO 
llamb .. ‘ he cee org Vee - 3.50 
Totalincome. . . ....... 5.00 
Profit a head. . a ee ee $1.46 
1The yearly depreciation on a ewe was figured as follows: 
The average price of a yearling breeding ewe was $5.00. Her 
period of usefulness would be six seasons, after which she could 
