76 STATES OP THE EIVER PLATE. 



few who, from unusually favourable circumstances in 

 point of establishment, facilities, and large means, will 

 succeed ; and who, from combining energy, knowledge, 

 and resources, need not be daunted, even by the great 

 difficulties presented by such an undertaking ; but these, 

 I say, are the exceptions. 



The object of the ' sheep-farmer ' in this country is to 

 rear a large number — tens of thousands — of sheep, of a 

 good, thrifty class, to yield as large a quantity as possible 

 of a generally useful wool, of ready sale at a good price. 

 To bestow on his flock the requisite attention to secure 

 their progressive improvement and well-being, will afford 

 him ample work, ample thought, and ample employment 

 for his capital. His occupation is on a large scale, and 

 the distraction that would inevitably result from his 

 dedicating himself to the minute details attendant on 

 the other branch, would be extremely prejudicial to his 

 main interest. For the higher blood he must look to the 

 high-caste breeder, and from him procure the rams best 

 suited to the condition of his flocks, and of his purse. 



In a previous paper I have enumerated the paramount 

 requirements of the flocks of Buenos Ayres, and sketched 

 the main principles which should guide the flock-master 

 in the selection of his rams, and the method of treating 

 them, and of disposing them in his flocks to the best 

 advantage ; and there only remains for me to urge all 

 ' sheep-farmers ' to keep within compass of the capabiU- 

 ties of their lands for carrying stock, and to make a 

 provision against scarcity for the maintenance of their 

 flocks, as well as for the higher feeding of their rams. 

 The sheep-farmer should cut and stack some natural 

 grass as hay, if he should not have ' alfalfares.' He can- 

 not go wrong in this, for the natural grass and trefoil, even 

 though mixed with stray thistles, dock, ' flor morada,' and 



