SHEEP-FARMING. 59 



same animals would probably not give over 5$ in grease. 

 Sheep of a fat-producing description, would yield, say, on 

 good average camps, fairly stocked and managed, 1^ 

 or 2 arrobas of grease (I went through a flock the other 

 day, flock maintained on camps, estimated by one of the 

 best of judges to yield 2^ arrobas, some of which would 

 yield 5 arrobas : sheep were weighed to arrive at this 

 estimate, and among them some young ewes weighing 

 7^ arrobas, shorn) worth about 50$ per arroba, which 

 would be 75$ for sheep at an arroba and a half, and 100$ 

 at two arrobas yield. Add to this the value of the skin, 

 and I think it will be seen at a glance, that such a class 

 of sheep would be a better paying stock than that which 

 only yields 9$ per annum gross product in wool, and which 

 are not worth over 5$ per head for the grease and 10 to 

 12$ for the skin. Moreover, it must be taken into con- 

 sideration, that a class of sheep that yields 75$ in grease 

 would yield 25$ in wool per annum, and probably more. 



It will be understood that, in throwing out these 

 figures, I do not refer in either case to 'capones' (wethers) 

 for the markets. 



Taking a glance back at these few figures, we see that 

 the estimated yield of wool in one case is 9$ against 5$ 

 of grease, or nearly double. Let us, however, assume 

 that the grease, under more favourable circumstances, 

 may yield 8 to 10$ say 9$ or equal to one year's wool. 



A class of sheep that under a fair system would yield 

 50$ in grease, would probably yield 15 to 16$ in wool; 

 and a class that would yield 65, 70 to 75$ in grease, 

 20 to 24$ in wool. 



In these, though the yield for wool is put down at 

 double, more than double, the average return from the 

 prevailing breed, the yield estimated from grease is equal 

 to three years' wool, more or less. This may be taken as 



