186 STATES OF THE EIVER PLATE. 



The sheep I have put down at $30. This is by the 

 ' cut ; ' but the invester would do well to purchase, instead 

 of 5,000, 6,500, 7,500, or more, and select from these 

 5,000 of the best young ewes and ewe lambs, selling the 

 remainder for what he could get, or killing them for the 

 skin and grease. 



Say that in so doing he raises the cost of his flocks by 

 one-fourth, or even more, which, with fencing and sowing 

 of alfalfa and corn, will bring up the cost of land, plant, 

 and stock, placed on the most advantageous working 

 footing, to 6,500/. or 7,000/. for every square league. 



The wages of shepherds, for four flocks, would amount 

 to about 15 per month, or ISO/, per annum, and care of 

 rams 45/. to 50/. 



The first year's clip would yield, probably, somewhat 

 over 600 arrobas of wool, value 3SO/. If the flocks are 

 composed, as I have recommended, of all ewes, and the 

 rams be sound and vigorous, an increase of 80 per cent, 

 of breeding ewes may be fairly calculated on ; so that in 

 two years the number of, more or less, 12,000 head may 

 be counted, of which some 3,500 may be males, which will 

 be realisable those from the less high-caste rams, if the 

 establishment be within reach of a market, will be sale- 

 able as wethers ; if out of the reach of a market they 

 will be available for steaming, and those from the select 

 flocks and best rams, as sires for use or sale. It will 

 not be too much to estimate these 3,500, at the age of 

 18 months, to be worth, one with another, something 

 like 10s. each, equal to 1,750/. There will remain as 

 breeding stock, of ewes and ewe lambs, 8,500, which, 

 from the improved quality of the 3,500, should yield a 

 clip of nearly 1,200 arrobas of wool, in value about 750/. 



Up to this point, no material increase of charge for 

 herding (i.e. for shepherds) will have been required. 



