Show FIELD DAY AT DUBOIS SHEEP STATION from the utah farmer by harold mitchell tuesday may 29 1923 was the regular annual field day at the U S range sheep experiment station at dubois idaho idabo five of our western states were represented at the regular days activities as well as at the meeting which followed in the evening SCOPE OF STATIONS activities according to the outline published by those in charge of the station the work now being conducted or thatis that is planned for the very near future includes the following I 1 breeding and improvement of types of sheep adapted to the range 2 comparative value of lamb and wool yields from different types of range sheep 3 watering sheep on the range from froin wells and reservoirs 4 shed lambing 5 wintering range sheep and 6 range improvement through grazing and methods approximately three thousand head of sheep ai aie e being handled and ranged as nearly as possible under the conditions that an all oi dinar sheep man might handle them so that a splendid opportune opp opportunity icy is afforded for st studying various problems connected aitu the range the carrying capacity of that particular type I 1 of range the time of year aben ft hen grazing can begin without material damage resulting to the range the effects of deferred and rotation grazing as well as the effects of overgrazing and the possibility of increasing the carrying capacity of the range by re seeding methods are some of the questions which are being carefully studied and which are of vital interest to every owner of range sheep BREEDING operations the breeding operations consist in a study of the comparative values of different types and grades of sheep cinder onder range conditions as well as of a comparison coin parison of the offspring of various various sires sires with respect of sue size unit munir oin cimity lity quality of wool and all problems which influence the general utility of the animals under range conditions in these studies the federal gators have bave used cor rie dales Lincol ns and columbian Coluin Colum bias a breed originated at the station itself as a result of crossin crossing Lincol ns and studies of the average fleece weight of the sheep or spinning inning bp count length of staple and selling price over a period of ys years as well as the average weight of lambs at a certain age are some of the problems being considered which should result in the establish ft facts of vital importance to sheep men generally various breed peculiarities are being studied with an attempt to fix those of a desirable nature the keeping of accurate records at the time of lambing shearing etc makes it possible to determine rather accurately the results obtained as well as to make many valuable correlation studies such as relation of openness of lice fice to weight of fleece age to weight density length of staple and general character or quality of the fleeces ces and all different combinations of these various factors A study 0 different methods of lambing including shed and range ranga lambing Uin bing together with the question of 0 time to lamb as wt mil 11 as a corn com para tive study of pen and range breeding is also being made and some of the fine points of these operations rations are being worked out OP OF importance TO i these actual problems problem sare are being thoroughly studied and the results being recorded are of such vital importance to the range sheep breeders bleeders bre eders of the western states slates that every state should have representatives at the field day activities so that the date could be carried direct to all other sheep men of the various states in addition to the various problems actually being studied atthe at the station itself this field day affords an opportunity for of the various states both of the educational and practical interests to meet together and discuss various problems vital to the stockmen stoc kmen generally just as an example of problems I 1 which might come up this year the questions of some borne method of controlling cont roling the grazing of government lands and the gre beneral policy wb which ich the national forest service should maintain were discussed and many valuable suggestions made many si liar and equally import ant problems might well be brought before such an assembly who can I 1 think of a meeting more likely to its aims and get favorable legislation than a body of men of this kind dubois is rather centrally located with reference to at least nine western states so that next year not only five but at least nine or eleven states should be represented and the representatives should go prepared to consider problems of general interest to the sleep men as well as to carry back with them a know knowledge tedge of the results of the splendid experimental work being done at the sta t ion by the government |