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Show MUTTON WILL BE LUXURY. Montana Sheepman Forecasts Future of His Industry. That the range in Montana is becoming becom-ing short for stock is a well known fact in the state, but many persons do not imagine how fast it is going. In a few years the raising of, sheep in the northwest will become a problem, and the large herds will have disappeared and each rancher will only have a certain cer-tain amount of sheep and cattle, much after the fashion in the middle eastern east-ern states. George E. Black, a large sheep-owner near Dillon, in a recent interview tells the following concerning conditions: ."Though there are now 50 per cent more sheep in the country than there wererive years ago, and though the demand de-mand does- not seem to increase in proportion, pro-portion, the price of sheep will keep on advancing till mutton will be a luxury. lux-ury. "It is not often that sheepmen will admit having been in the cattle business," busi-ness," Mr. Black continued, "but the tendency is more to buy sheep than cattle. I know of several men who have given up the cattle business to go into sheep-raising. The sheep at oresent have the advantage of cattle in Montana in the matter of range, and for that reason the herds of sheep are constantly becoming be-coming larger. But there is this advantage: ad-vantage: Just as the cattle range in Kansas and Nebraska was fenced in and farms made in their place, so will the sheep ranges be fenced in and both cattle-raising and sheep-raising will be on a smaller and more expensive scale. "It cannot be denied that sheep are a menace to the cattle business. They, in many instances, kill the range, and it is a long time till the cattle can feed after a band of sheep has passed over the range. As long, therefore, as there is no legislation, the cattle will be at a disadvantage. Although no sheepman wants to see it, I think legislation in the' sheep and cattle business is sure to come. "In. Idaho there is a two-mile limit law, which provides that "no band of sheep shall be brough within two miles of a farm house. This, of course, so that the range will be saved for the cattle. The sheepmen claim that the law is unconstitutional. It has caused much trouble ,and in Idaho and, Oregon fights are of common occurrence. The constitutionality of the law has never been tested, but it will probably hold good. "Th big days of the cattle and sheep industry are about over. Conditions are becoming more and more like those in the east. The time is not far distant when sheep and cattle will be fed on farms. They will be high in price like it is in England. "Th wool 'clip in Montana this season was unusually large, and of excellent quality. Good prices were also realized. More men were engaged in shearing the sheep than ever before. Philipsburg (Mont.) Call. |