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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1881)
2 5? it i1 ,1 M t. t 'i if iy ii- ?)i r i I'lu id v - i 'f 'wiLLAtaEITE FARMER; PORTLAND, OREGON. FEBRUARY 4. l88i. SHEEP AM WOOL. Sheep Husbandry In the iimhiu Itcglon. Wo publish this week tlirco sevcrarcommu ideations, from experienced Wojd Growers, that cover tlio entire ground of sheep huslnnd ry and wool-grow ing In tlio Columliiaii Valley. Tho editorial comment that accompany cadi aro all that Is needed and tlio subject could not bo lift to Letter hands. We hnc sought to furnish iiractlc.il Information concerning cmo of tho great and most productive Indus tries wo havo and so havo secured thuso ex ircsslons from practical men w ho havo mado n success of it. Hon. John Miuto, who Is a aclf-inado man, well-known as u (Homer and whoso namo is familiar In our political history, resides at Salem and Is a practical lincdir of Merino sheep; Hon. A. J. Dufu represented Oregon as Commissioner for Oregon at the Centennial; whila ho reside, at present at East Portland, eiijovlng wcll-caiiicd rcposo, his sons hao largo Hocks in Wasco county and make a smo success as wool growers; the last paper is furnished by n gentleman whose practical knowledge of sheep and wool con en tho entire ground of discussion. i i BIIEEP AND WOOL IK OREOOK. History of Importing and Breeding Bqeep, imd of Wool Growing In Oregon. With lti Preiont Status. IIV IIOV. JOIIS IITI. Ttn first shci p brought to Oregon, wero driven from California by an American named Lease, in 18.1S, and thiro is soma reason to hcliovo that ho madun second etrivo In Ul'J. Thny were light bod cd, dry fleeced, kempy, and inferior sheep. In 1811, Mr, Joshua Shaw, and his son A. 0. It. .Shaw, brought tho llrst few across tho plains from Missouri. In 1817 a Mr. Fields brought a lot of good sheep across tho plains. In IS 13, Mr. Joseph Wiitt, of Amity, brought 3.10 head, consider ably infutid with Sixony iixriuo blood, and among them w iro fr rams and 2 cues that wero pure Saxony and six high grad Spanish merino ewes. In 18,11 Hiram Smith hroui'ht some full blooded .Spiiilshmeriiins, I never was informed as to tho uuiiiIh r. In 18.11 Dr. Toliniv, of tho l'ugvt Sound Agricultural Comiiauy ilroo into tlic Willamette valley, koiuo 1,500 head, ib.cond.ants of Lease's Cali fornia sheep that camu in I8HS, among which wero soino pure, or nearly pure, South Downs, Leicester and Merinos.. In 18.18 Martin Jcasu brought In '.X) Inad of Macathtr Auttra lun Mcrinoj that wero inipotted into San Francisco by J. II. Williams. U. S. Consul ut Sidney in 18.17. In 18.1!) It. C. (leer. of Wuldii hills, imported Soilthdowns of tho famous Jonas Wubli breeding. In ISM) Rock well & Jones iiumrtcd Punch and Spanish Merinos from Vermont later in tho same year Jewett V Ijmo hroiight in soino pure And Miinn gradt-tl 1'rincli meiinos. In IMlI Donald McLeoel brought 160 tlioroiiL'lilircd Spanish mviiiios from Vermont across tho plains. In IN! I. John I). IVtcrson imported and sold in Ore -on, Trench and Spanish meri nos. Mr. JoliuCo'swclliiniMirtttlXuw Oxford shire ami llaiiiMliuvMliiuns about 1M1I, and bout tlio sitno dito Hon. Hon Stark imported h single Cotsucild mm. Snicu that elato tho, lato Joseph llnluian, Mr, Wilson of Ohio,' Thomas Cross, Mr. Wilkius, S. (1. Rccil, and others lino Imported Cottuoldsand Leicester from tho Atlantic side, and James Cuiueron and others havo imported from New calami and Australia. Of later data tlirru hao been importations and sales of incriuos by Jowctt and Muuson, I'cter Svxe A Sous, Severance & Pert, and Mrs. lllaeow, Nearly all the sheep imported to Oregon of 1 eto were Span- mi or Amciioan imported merinos, except those sent hero by Mm. lllaeow, which wero of tho largest and highest keptstjleof French inrrinoe. , Iho resident breeders of merino sheep in Oregon at present are, Thompson & Sons and Dr. Raid win, of Wasco county, who im ported their own sheep; A. J. Dufur anil nous of Dufur, samo county, who have stock of my breeding, and those from tho linn of Mills & Lurlluig, of J. I). Patterson's importa tion crowed with rams imported by II, Ham uiond, of Vermont. In tho same county ore Lewis brothers, who have Australian and lYencli merinos, I am informed. In Umatilla country are Ross A Sutherland, at IMot Hock, whoso tlock is crossed with Severance & Feet' stock of Spanish meriiiu, wero imported by Put Smith, o Wall Walla sort of free rover iu the sheep line. Near Walla Walla is located "lly.'1 tleer, a live Uregontan though he live across the line, His stock is from the llock of the Uto T. O. Navlor, (Jewett & Patterson's importation) ttd from my ueighbor V. L. Davidson.' stock, (Rockwell) Joncr, McLcnd, Patterson and my self contributed towards Davidson'sstock. Tti U'nih ft, flrmrnn In I sTiit irl a cAlthtv Col I Fcmlcl Southcrliu has lately commenced f with trench merinos fiom Mrs.Illacnw 1 stock; Judio rhoiims Smith is also there, whoso stock was tho McLcod drove from Vermont, and I think Senator Stcarus has soino of tho same stock crosic-d by Jewett & Munsou sheep. In I oik county D. M. Guthrio breeds largely with French and Spanish merinos, there aro a few thoroughbred merinos kept in Linn county by Mr. Knox, of Knox's butto, and by Mr. Thorn is Fronian. near Alluny. In Marion country T. W. Davenport his a flock fpunded on tint Navlor stock and some of mine, crossed with blood of Sevcrauco & I'ects imputation, 'lhomas Crose, J. L. l'arrish, Hon. I'. R. Suitli and mvself have stock began with tho earliest importation from Vermont and Australia and added to by such later importations ox wero thoucht to bo a cain. Tho breeders of Ions woolcd sheen nrei Mr. Wilkius l Sons of Lano county, who havo the New Oxfmdshirts. Mi. James Kicliards, ol Waldo lulls, thU (Marion) county, keeps CoUuolds; sudo, I believe, Mr. Withy mini, H. (I, IUed, ninl RoUrt linhric, of Washington county. 'Iho .Southdouns and lliiinpvhircdovvns are no longer kept hero of my ktinwlutgo, and of lato vuirs tin re has been less and lorn interest in.mifes eil lieie In the best long woolcd families, as Hocks of them onro held by Cornelius of Washington, Raker of Yamhll, and Kevsof Kenton, have disappeared. It is not that theso breeds can not bo kept In Western Oregon and made to produce combing wool of tho very bcstiiality. l'ho aw arils of lirstclossin dais by the Worhf's fair of 1870. and moio recintlv of l'arls. and within a fow weeks put nt tho wool ex position held at Philadelphia, proves that Western Oregon can excel, both iu loin,' comb ing and In lino clothing wools; but our ex perience proves that combing wool sheep ro quire constant ore on the part of tho owners, to keep them iu tho proper condition. There aioafuu locations iu Western Oregon of which this Is not true. 1 hero aro a few ranges of limi'ed ixteut that aro better adapt ed to long woided sheep tl an to any other. Thcia are alvo firmcrs who so keep their flock under conditions generally not favorable, that they bring to market a veiy good article of combing wool. Hut such are exceptional men ot present.. Tho genera' condition of the cnmaio oi " esteru Urtgon, ami tlio pasturage furnished cither n ituratly or by thehclp of the farmer, are such that there is a steady deteri oration from an av erngu standard of Cotswold. Leicester, or New- Oxford sheep. The flock grows gradually inoroandmnrelrggy iuappcar a mo, tho wool b comes shorter, drirai d less lustrous, and In many cosse tho sho- p, while comparatively aoung, lose cousiilerable of this wo d heforo ordinary aliening time. For these general reasons, tliose who take Interest enough in tho sheep they keep to use any pure blooded sheep for tho purpose of lm- proreimnt, or even iiiiintaiiiuig the measure of prolits received from their flocks, look, in a large majority i f cases, towards the merinos This is so, to such an extent, even in Western Oregon, that I think t at I am s.afo In asum iim that ut this time tho amount ol inn-inn hlcod In the sheep of the coun'ry is equal to that of Ml ther breeds together, common stock included. That is; I beliuve, the sheep ui iiviitni eirc,juii win gnwio ncai iy or quite, halfJdood merino. Ow ing to the rapid ette nnon of w heat-fanning, ami an Increasing uo of sheep as gleaners and wee-diiiL' w he it-fallows, whe-te thuy uro in many cases kept .without water and on short feed iloriug tho following season, eveji tho Mcillio blood is not siillicieut to counter- act tlietendcuey to deterioration and dryness of fleece', and flocks so tr ated aro rctreicrad- ilium sited sheep to got a fair living a condi tion suitablo to growing fino wool of tho best einality tho comhing-wool sheep is not get ting the amount of feed necessary to keep its wool in healthy growth, so both wool and sheep are deteriorating. On fresh ran?o this is not the case, and for a while a very good staple of long wool can bo grown on such range, but tlio causes I have indicated aery soon begin to operate, with results that fully justliy tne wool growers ior urcceiing more anil more towarels me ciommg-wooi snecp. Tho present wool crop of the Columbia river valley, including Kaat and West of tho Coscado range, will very nearly giado as "mo ilium clothing staple." There are, of course, entire clips that would sort into combing, coar-o delaine and noils. There are flocks of long-wools that have been kept under tlio most favorable conditions. Thero are still larger numbers of flocks of this samo kind that havo been breds tow arils tho Merino, that a largo proportion of "med'um to flno dclalno wool," according as the llock has taken the first, sec ond or third cross towards fine wool. Theso exceptional lots of combing and ilehine wools rcccivo no discrimination in their favor iu our local markets.. The custom hero is to buy wool by tlio reputation of tho dislri. U w litre it is grown, as "Douglas county wool," "v illamctto valley wool, or "hastcrn Oro gon wool." Rut the observing reader will see occasionally, aiiu a lato Joiirns I of Commerce, quoted by tho American Stockman, December tltlil "Valley, Oregon, lambs' wool (1st fleece) hchl in San Francisco at 31 to.lj cents; Lastem Oregon lambs, 'M to '21 cents:" while California Northern (Humboldt and Mendo cino counties) are quoted '2o to "0 cents. Thoso wool, I suppose, are sorted ml graded in San Francisco, and tho Oregon grower, for the most patt fail", under pn sunt methods of ii arkot, to get tlio lull bcuelit ol good breed ing. One main causo of this is that sheep and wool growing are but in their beginning in Oregon, and very many who aro tngagcil iu it are merely learners iu the business. While some are apt to learn and soon becomo skillful in tho management of flocks, and conse quently are succcisful, many, and per haps most, aro merely making a living. Others are slowly failing of success at all, as tney cannot aeiapi tnemselves to tlio ocenpa tlon; but out of all this will come know ledge with experience! tho men and the Hocks are growing that will make this Northwest Coast regiou one of the first wool-growing, and, ul timately, one of the first wool'manufacturing portions of the earth. God lias given the conditions favorable for Iwt i occupations and man will uso them to the full of their adapta tions. At the lato National Show of Sheep and Wool, held In Philadelphia, at which Oregon wools mado a good lecord. W. F. Markham delivered an address before tho nig, havo, as a rule, not yet adopted tho plan of liUnel feeding iu Winter, to makoup, in part, for short, dry feud iu Summer, Wool growers iu F-aiUin Oiegon and Wash ington, and, in tact, iu all th country between tho Cascades and the Rocky Mountains, aro advancing more rapidly llnu tlio.o'e.tof tlio Cascade range iu the improvement of their wools. This advance is nearly all In the di rection of tlio American-Improved Merino; so much so that I Mievv thero are ten ineriim rams ii ire.li ised for usu'thero to one of anv or .n .i i i i-i. t-.... , . . . mi uiucr minis, sue oouiiuiowus aim elll ferent faini'iesof combing. woolcd hep have U'cn tried thero sulliciently often to prove that the climate and other conditions of shep husbandry in that section of country are still more unfavorable for long-w exiled afieep than Is the case, as 1 have prcemtcl it. West of the Cascade Mounta in iu the Willamette Vallvy. It Is found, in practi.e, that iu si fleck of mixed breeds the long-wooleel keep on the outside of the others iu search of fete!. Ob servation proves that when the short-joiutcsl. round-bodied Merino grade, weighing 130 pounds live weight, baa feel to its satisfaction and is ready to lie down, the long-wooleel weighing 180 pounds, has not had feed ac cording to the requirements of its nature and site, and in consequence is restless at camping M,v, cuimj imun uuun sucu sneep re quire the constant care of tho herder to prsveut. tliem from leading the flock to travel faster and farther daily than is good for it Then, wlitu the stasou render jt UuVul for a me- "Convention to promote the sheep and wool Industry," in which ho said i "Along our Noithem bonier is a region embracing Oregon and Washington Territory, warmed and moistened by the winds and currents of tho Pacific Ocean, presenting tho same peculiari ties of climate Mid vegetation to which aro credited much of tho vaunted excellenco of the lonc-Woolcel sheen of Kinrlaml." Mr. Markham is right; tho climate is here, though it is not so wide iu its influence as be states. It covers, however, tho two counties of Call forni I have mentioned, the Western third of Oregon, the half of Washington and tho " " ue Jriiisn ccnumuia. UUt Irom Kaat of the Cascades to Western Kansas anil from Middle Texas to Alaska, is all clothing wool country, for which the Improved Amer ican Merino is the best known brecel. The portion of coast moistened by the w inds of the Pacific, now occupied aa wheat fields, needs, as I have Iiidicat-d, something ap proaching Knglish method of husbandry, both a to wlieat and sheep, to make it carry combing-woolcU sheep. The lands of the cont that aro most favored by these "moist ened winds," however, are yet under forest and brush wild growth. A little observation will convince anyone that the timber belt aiong our streams, tne lootlulls, narrow val leys and bench lands of our mountain ranges, that carry grass and clover greeii through the eut re season, are suier for the production of such plants as the rutaliaga and mang. Id wurtiel, than the lands of the main Western vancy. wnereon natural elrvnesa prevented timber grow th, and kept it ready for the plow of the piouneer and the pasturage of his ox teams. Rut the millions of acres of brush and timber lands are here, Mr. Kelitor, wait Ing ouly for the mind and wuscle that is bound to come and utilise them. Meautime, those w ho are here are fully occupied securing re sults in what seems the easiest and quickest manner. I have tried to show the present status and tendencies of our ool growing aa it is couuecttd with improveel brr tils of sheep. I have explained the means of improvement aud how it came here and is- inviting the choice of the wool Brewer. The fiebTis a wme one, aim in time, l nave no doubt, will be fully occupied. i i WOOl OROWINO IN WASCO CODHTT. jir MS, A. J. DUrUR. Tlio following statement of fact is an au thentic record of the uperience ot Dufur llros., whs havo a choice Deck of well bred Merinos, that are taore thorn suaally valuable. Mr. Dufur values ihttn &t $1 a head, and they evidently pay a large interest on that, but sheep, well bred, can bo easily purchased at a much less price, Tlio Dufur have an excel lent range on Fifteen-Mile Creek, sonthof The Dalles, and in addition to that they hare a valuable swamp land claim 20 mile West, on tho benches of the mountains, covering thou sands of acres of swamp lands, that afford excellent lato Summer and Fall pasture. They aro exceptionally well fixed, and beside have natural talent for keeping sheep to the best advantage, which I an essential to successful sheep husbandry. Tliose who lack this can hardly aucccod under any circumstance. L'ait I'ohtland, Dec. 21, 1830. ICditor Willamette Farmer: In perusing your excellent description of the great Columbian Kosin in the Fahwxr of the .'Id Inst., my mind involuntarily mm back to timo when railroads wero unknown muregon, ami tho FAKMKn, with n few ot it most de voted patrons, wero making an effort to bring before tho public the vast natural and unde veloped resources of our adopted State. Having liecn closely identified with th agricultural Interests of Oregon for more than twenty years, ami still believing, a I ever havn, that no State in tho Union possessed at many advantages for tho legitimato accumu lation of wealth, and the ro-establishmcnt ol independent homes, as does this State; and knowing that tho Wli.UMm Farmer is read with interest in almost all of the older States, where one of tho all-important ques tions in tho overcrowded districts 1st "Where can we find safe investment for independent homes!" I will, w ith your permission, git e your readers my views ami experience in wool growing and sheep husbandry in Eastern Ore gon and Washington Territory. It cannot be expected that a detailed statement will be mado in one short article of all the eligible lo cations for sheep husb.au Iry iu a territory of country so extensive that some of our Kastern States miuht be overlooked aa a littlo patch of territory i ot worth settling on. Aud aa it is too frequently the caso in describing a country for a writer, with a single stroko of the pen. to declare it to Imi the finest place in the world for evervboely and rverv thing, I shall, in this communication, simply give fact and figures as far aa my qwn experience goe in sheop husliaadry in Eastern Oregon. I might, with propriety, refer to the for tunes realized by such men aa Frailer, Moore, Field, Rogers, Smith, the Grants, Waldrons, Thompsons, Fargars, and hundreds of other who have come under my observation in East ern Oregon, or the grand failure of several others I know ot who seemed to think they could make a fortune by investing in sheep and running them with dogs without food or shelter, let the cold be ev- r so severe or the snow evor so deep; but this would not give the practical busii ess men of tho East a cor rect idea of the necesasiy expense to be in-. curreei, ami me proimoie proiila to he aeriveu from carefully conducted sheep husbandry In the Eastarn districts of the great Columbia basin. Mysoxpciience has proved to m that a cer tain amount of forage, with cheap shedding and dry straw bedding is one of the best in vestment the wool grower can make in win tering in Eastern Oregon, It i true that hundreds of bands are carried through with out extra feed or shelter, but 1 have iuvarialgy found that the loss iu numbers, the conditiou in flesh, and the shrinkage in weight of fleece at shearing time ha more than doubled the expense of furnishing a fow pound ot hay and the light expense of shakes, boards and straw to make wind-breaks, shods and dry Wilding to protect the flock from the cold winds, rain, snow or frost that occasionally occur in all countries that I have ever seen. It is true we frequently have Winter when sheep will not touch h y if it is fed to them, but I have found that from two to threu weeks is aliout an averago time for which the flock master should provide feed and shelter for his flock. In the Winter of 70-7 I find we feel about 10 elays; in "77-8, 13 davs; in 78 9, 2 days; and the sheep that Winter would have done much better to have been left entirely on the range. In 70-80 feed and , shelter was required about two weeks, and the present Winter bids fair to let u off with not more than six or eight days. A our last wool and lamb crop was aliout an average with former years, it may not be uninteresting to some of your readers to learn the expense ami profit of running a band ot 1,600 ewe w had selected a about three-quarter blood Merino! KXri.NSE ACCOC.XT. To 4 tons of salt at r.'O per ton I 80.00 To 8 tons of hay at $10 per ton 8000 To 10 tons of strawat toper ton 60.00 To 7 ct per head for shearing 105.00 To 39 wool sacks at 62J cU each 24.37 To man and board for herding 480.00 To two extramen on month during parturition , 60.00 Total sV yWeraseji" '... uM
