Show y ae livestock C 0 c n A 4 J t r ct 0 ay 7 los angeles may 23 economic i 1 port anee of the sheep and wool business in california is emphasized this month when the annual california ram sale is held at sacramento may 21 and 25 this la is one of 0 the largest ales bales ot of improved rams rains held in the united states because california I 1 Is not only one of the largest wool growing states in america but the utes lates production of 0 early lambs has for many years been outstanding for high quality there are around sheep and cambs iambs slaughtered annually in the united states and of 0 this total california accounts for approximately each year moreover californians themselves are great consumers eating about or tour four times as much lamb per capita as citizens of 0 the united states as a whole california with about 5 per cent of the population 0 f the united states eats the product ot of i ilia tely 2000 sheep and lambs la nills or about 12 per cent of the total united states production the sheep business has been of great economic importance in california since the pacific coast was first settled by the spaniards in t those hose days the sheep flocks wei e largely of merino blood a breed that was nas mainly valuable tor fine wool production Cali fornias sheep business continued mainly for wool production until the close of the lath century As the population increased there was a continually greater demand tor for meat foods and gradual ly y the alie lual dual purpose sheep has been developed that Is breeds were introduced it trod that were valuable both for wool and for meat production so outstanding has been the development of high quality mutton breeds that Cali fornias early lamb production his has become nationally infamous amous for high quality result Is that around california early lambs are annually shipped to the IN middle fiddle west and atlantic coast where the high quality product commands a premium besides ldes due to tile hie inird winter inter climate clima tp it is possible to produce spring lambs BO 60 to go 30 days earlier in california than in other major sheep sections today the sheep business provides california with an all annual cash income of around the states flocks had an inventory value valtie according to the united states department of agriculture of 0 25 on oil january 1 1938 sixty years ago the state had sheep and lambs about twice as many as at present with an inventory value of |