FLOCK HUSBANDRY IN WESTERN STATES 231 



active and careful herder who will lose none of 

 them, since as fall days come on their instinct leads 

 them to roam in search of ewes. 



Often several ranches will combine their forces 

 and put all the rams together in one herd. Others 

 will allow the rams to run with the ewes during win- 

 ter and spring, separating them in summer when 

 there might be danger of too early matings. 



Sometimes it is possible to put the rarns in a 

 wether herd, though wether bands are not nearly so 

 common as they once were and many ranchers keep 

 none at all, selling off all wether lambs or at most 

 keeping them only till yearlings past. 



WHEKE THE KAMS COME FROM. 



The source of supply of range rams is principally 

 from large growers of rams situated in various 

 parts of the range country and in the valleys of 

 California and Utah. Eastern Oregon produces 

 thousands of magnificent rams mainly of Merino 

 blood, approaching the Eambouillet type or purely 

 of that blood. California sends many high-class 

 Merino rams to the ranges. Utah and Idaho grow 

 Merino, Cotswold and Hampshire rams by thou- 

 sands with lesser numbers of other mutton breeds. 

 Wyoming grows Merinos, Cotswolds, Leicesters and 

 Hampshires. 



Eange-bred rams are most serviceable on the 

 range, having learned how to live there and being 

 more muscular and hardy than eastern farm-grown 

 sheep. There is, however, a steady stream of the 



