218 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



crop out, modified, but not destroyed by the for- 

 eign bloods. 



THE "GOOD OLD TIMES " IN NEW MEXICO. 



Under the old-fashioned regime in New Mexico 

 not much improvement of the herds was possible. 

 There was no provision for winter feeding and there 

 often occurred a somewhat long period of semi- 

 starvation. Water was not readily accessible and 

 often of execrable quality, being supplied by shal- 

 low pools or lakes that became incredibly foul and 

 dangerous to drink from. There is now a consider- 

 able number of men engaged in sheep growing un- 

 der better conditions. Near the irrigable valleys 

 vast amounts of alfalfa are grown and winter feed- 

 ing is practiced to some extent. Better rams are 

 used than formerly, Eambouillets having been used 

 to a considerable extent, together with Delaines and 

 other Merinos. In some places Shropshire and even 

 Cotswold blood has been introduced. Native Mexi- 

 can sheep owners have in many instances given way 

 to American owners and in other instances have 

 themselves learned better methods. A peculiar in- 

 dustry of this region, especially down along the 

 Pecos Eiver, is the lambing of ewes in the alfalfa 

 fields in March or earlier, and growing the lambs 

 rapidly with grain and green alfalfa for early mar- 

 keting in May and June. 



MODEKN MANAGEMENT. 



A herd may contain from 500 to 3,000 sheep. Per- 

 haps 2,000 would be considered a good-sized but 



