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orDRY LAND WITHP MSA TOFITro11-!emrS. HEBP have been on the American continent for upward of a thousand years. Columbus, on ! Ills second voyage to America, stop-| ped at one of the Cape Verde Islands, and took oninv-11*r?-di-»ri-B. C. Whitecalves, goats, and sheep to stock the Island of His-panolia. These sheep, with the other livestock, were landed in December, 14 93 at Isabella, the first Christian city founded in the New World.Other Spanish ships that followed from time to time landed more sheep on the Islands of Cuba and Hispanolia. | From these islands sheep were carried to the Isthmus of Panama, and from there spread over Mexico, California, Texas. New Mexico, and were taken as far south along the Pacific as Peru. The descendants of these sheep are still in these areas. If you were to watch the sheep and lambs coming in from the southwest to the Chicago stockyards you would see this tjpe of sheep, and they are designated in the sheep trade as “Mexicans.” There is no argument or doubt about sheep doing well in the arid localities of the United States, and on the dry lands. The end of the argument is the fact that they are today grazing over vast areas of arid land, and have been doing so for more than 4,000 years of recorded history.The royal flocks of Spain were founded before the Christian era, and the Rarabouillet sheep the world over are the descendants of these royal flocks, of which there were fifteen. For centuries Spain guarded these sheep with jealous care and anyone shipping any of these sheep out of Spain without the permission of the sovereign was punishable with death or heavy penalties. Spain has lost the monopoly of her golden fleese, and the Spanish sheep have spread over the whole world. While the Rambouillet sheep is of Spanish origin they have a French name and here is the story of their christening: In 1785 Louis XVI of France came into the possession of the province of Rambouillet, upon which he established an experimental farm. He obtained permission from the king of Spain to purchase and take fromthe kingdom a flock of pure bred Merino sheep. The Spanish king gave orders that the selection should be made from the finest flocks in his kingdom, the pick of the fifteen royal flocks. Three hundred and eighteen ewes and 41 rams were established in the province of Rani-bouillet, and have been bred pur-down to this clay. Hence the name.Probably there is no line of agri culture so little understood by people in general as sheep husbandry. A Rambouillet sheep is always a Merino sheep—a fine wooled sheep. They will adapt themselves to any climate from the torrid zone to the frozen north, and arc of the range or traveling type, as against the pasture sheep. Most all animals shed their coats once or twice a year but a Rambouillet sheep's fleece will keep growing from year to year, although not sheared, and I have a few sheep now that have not been shorn in two years. At the Billings fair two years ago. Professor Arnett of the Bozeman State college, had a ram that had not been shorn in three years, and his fleece was still growing. L. H. Hamilton of the old Sago Creek Sheep company, who in the old range days ran from 30,000 to 4 0,000 head of sheep, bred the Rambouillet. So did the Bower brothers, who also ranged at times 40,000 head. Calvin Bower a short time ago informed me that they had raised in one season 15,000 lambs and sheared 250,000 pounds of wool. Ben Phillips of Malta handled as many and also bred the Rambouillet sheep. One of the Sehvays, formerly of Dillon, ran 4 0,000 sheep south of Miles City in the dry country, and ho told the writer that he never put up a pound of hay, but ran the sheep the year around on the open range. Of course, he had an almost unlimited country to range over, and it is needless to say that that system won't do now.There is no more valuable or useful animal to add to the comfort and prosperity of mankind than the sheep. They provide delicious and nutritious meat for the table. No other material furnishes as warm, healthful and comfortable a garment as virgin wool. Their pelts go into a multitude of useful purposes for the comfort and pleasure of mankind. Your big heavy ulster lined with sheep pelts stands off the coldest blizzard and will wear for many years; and as the world is short about fifty per cent of sheep compared to 3 914, tell me. Mr. Farmer. Mr. Merchant and Mr. Banker what will bring prosperity quicker to Montana than sheep.
Newspaper Details
Wolf Point Herald
Wolf Point, Montana, US
Thu, May 01, 1924
Page 7
Full Page
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Anonymous
MT, USA 05 Feb 2022
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