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Show " " r DECREASE IN SHEEP. , ! ' Figure9 from the Department of Agriculture January, 1903, showed there wore 63,964,876 head, and on January if 1907, this had decreased to ! 53,240,00.) head. A' writer in the Re view of Reviews says this decrease was due to the extraordinary demand for mutton and lamb, leading to the selling and slaughter of a large portion por-tion of the total number of shocp. Stockyards reports ' from Chicago, Omaha, St. Joseph, Kansas City and Denver in the last few years show it tremendous increase in sheep shipped I for slaughter, nndi still the supply has J hardly kept pace with the demand. I It is safe to say that the total numbct of- sheco on January 1, 1908, was about 1 000,000 less than the figures of January 1, 1907. There has been a heavy decrease in Montana and Idaho, and an increase in Wyoming. In fact, Wyoming has passed Montana, Mon-tana, and is now the foremost sheep state in the Union. The hsavy demand for mutton and lambs hao kept down- the wool production pro-duction since 1902. In that year the tptal number of pounds of wool clipped in the United" States was 324,-107,046. 324,-107,046. In 1907 the total clip was 298,294,750, valued at $78,263,165. |
