144 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



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and eastern Utah, where the sheepmen have established 

 themselves upon the winter ranges to the almost com- 

 plete exclusion of all other classes of stock. In Califor- 

 nia, Oregon and Washington, especially in the moun- 

 tains, the railroads and great syndicates that control the 

 timber lands in large tracts, have all leased their lands 

 to the sheepmen for summer grazing. 



This naturally has added to the expense of raising 

 sheep, but the men who have been long-headed enough 

 to look thus far into the future, have placed their busi- 

 ness upon a solid foundation. 



Double Profit From Sheep. The wool-grower has one 

 great advantage over the man raising cattle in that he 

 has two yearly crops upon which to depend. If his lamb 

 crop is a failure, he still has his wool. If wool is low, 

 he can meet the deficit in his income from the sales of 

 his lambs. Seldom are both low at the same time. Sheep 

 are also more closely under the eye of the herder and 

 thus more safely cared for in bad weather or trying 

 times. The Mexicans have a saying that, "the old ewe 

 even in her death leaves her pelt behind to pay the 

 funeral expenses." 



The increase is also much heavier than in cattle. In 

 the southwestern lambing grounds under almost ideal 

 conditions for" lambing a careful shepherd has been 

 kimwii in more than one instance to lamb and "mark 

 up" a full 100 per cent crop, or a lamb for every ewe. In 

 the Salt l\iver country in good years instances have been 

 known where a herd of 2,000 ewes has averaged 105 per 

 cent. In the same region, on alfalfa and lambed under 

 niMM raret'nl supervision, ,, u t ,,f 250 young ewes an aver- 

 age of 150 per cent or 375 lambs has been raised. Taking 



