THE COMMON SHEEF-SCAB. 67 



cultural Experiment Station, published by the writer in 

 April, 1891, and which is new out of print. 



"It is no longer a theory but a well established fact that 

 large portions of our state are well adapted to sheep hus- 

 bandry. A dry region, covered with small-leaved plants and 

 grasses, is essential to success, and no good results can be 

 expected upon low or swampy lands, nor in very dry and 

 dusty regions, which are neither good for the animals nor 

 for their wool. Sheep are the only domesticated animals 

 which can fully utilize the vegetation of our wild prairies, as 

 they graze down to the very roots of nearly all plants grow- 

 ing there. With the exception of the seeds of some species of 

 grasses (Stijxc), that are injurious to them, in extreme cases 

 even causing death, all other plants are eaten with impunity, 

 even should they be poisonous to other stock. By means of 

 sheep husbandry our farmers are enabled to fully uti- 

 lize much of the cultivated land in the vicinity of their 

 farms, as well as all the land lying fallow or in stubble. 

 Many of the most noxious weeds introduced into the exten- 

 sive cultivation of the soil can only be successfully kept in 

 check by the use of sheep. Of course wherever the natural 

 conditions are not in favor of this industry, or where but 

 scant food can be obtained upon the natural meadows, 

 farmers must either be satisfied with fewer sheep, or they 

 must grow food for them. Frequently too many animals 

 are kept by farmers, who can not take proper care of them, 

 and naturally the result is a more or less complete failure. 

 If proper attention is given to it sheep husbandry is one of 

 the most important branches of farming, and one that pays 

 well in more than one sense. 



For most of our farmers sheep husbandry is still a new 

 enterprise, and numerous errors in the management of the 

 animals are the consequence. Simply possessing suitable 

 land for this business does by no means insure success. 

 Among the errors usually made one stands out very promi- 

 nently, /. e. the farmers are very apt to keep more sheep 

 than they can properly take care of; or, in other words: the 

 sheep are left on the prairies to take care of themselves. The 

 consequences are failure, at least in many cases. No enter- 



