22 GEASS LANDS OF THE SOUTH ALASKA COAST. 



Sheep hushancb'y. — Two definite attempts have been made to 

 establish sheep raising in south Ahiska, though small numbers have 

 been kept at various points for short periods. The first attempt was 

 made by the Alaska Commercial Company, which in 1883 imported 

 a band of about 300 sheep from California. Unfortunately no accu- 

 rate record of this experiment is available, and the accounts of 

 A^arious persons differ considerably. Many of the sheep died the 

 first winter, according to some reports from lack of shelter, according 

 to others from scab. The remainder were kept on a small island 

 near Kadiak, where the only shelter was a small grove of sjiruce, but 

 in winter they were usually transferred to new grazing grounds 

 where thej^ could feed on the tall, dry grass. In very severe weather 

 they were sometimes sheltered and fed hay. These sheep are said 

 to have yielded about 5 pounds of excellent wool per head each year, 

 and the annual increase is reported to have l:)een about 60 per cent of 

 the adult animals. No particular care was given them, and the last 

 were slaughtered about six years ago. The venture, even excluding 

 the loss of the first winter, seems not to have been profitable. 



The only sheep now in Alaska are on the ranch of the Frye-Bruhn 

 Company, near Kadiak, who have about 80 head. These sheep are the 

 remnant of 9,000 which were shipped in from Oregon in 190'2 and 

 1903, the remainder having perished. At first sight it would seem 

 that this appalling loss of more than 98 per cent was conclusive evi- 

 dence that sheep raising in Alaska is not likely to prove profitable. 

 Inquiry into the causes of the mortality do not bear out this conclu- 

 sion necessarily. About 500 of the sheep were drowned in ]March, 

 1903, by being caught at the head of a narroAv cove by the incoming 

 tide. One hundred and fifty head were lost by becoming frightened 

 and jumping over cliffs. The rest of those that died succumbed to 

 scab, Avhich broke out in January, 1903. Owing to lack of shelter it 

 was then impossible to treat them by dipping, as that would practi- 

 cally have been equivalent to killing them. The result was that all 

 but 80 died of the disease. Thus all the mortality was due to causes 

 entirely preventable. It was interesting to learn that several head of 

 these sheep which ran w41d survived the Avinter without care, and the 

 writer was informed by trustAVorthy Avitnesses of other cases of this 

 kind. In the light of present knoAvledge it is difficult to say Avhether 

 sheep can be profitably raised in southwestern Alaska. 



In regard to the Iavo attempts which haA^e been made, it is 

 noteAvorthy that in both instances the animals Avere shipped from a 

 comparatively Avarm and dry climate to one cool and notably Avet; 

 furthermore, that none of them perished from any cause directly 

 comiected Avith the Alaska conditions. 



There are, however, some further difficulties in connection Avith 



