FLOCK HUSBANDRY IN WESTERN STATES 259 



to him right or not. His impatience may therefore 

 cost him dear. 



It is a good plan to set a price that you are will- 

 ing to pay for the class of sheep that you decide to 

 feed and, carefully describing your wishes, state the 

 case to your commission man, leaving the order with 

 him to be filled when he can. It may happen that 

 you are too low and your bid may need to be raised, 

 or the stuff may cost you less than you had expected 

 to pay. 



The feeder may if he desires go in person to the 

 ranges and make his selections there, bringing his 

 purchases directly home. Thus he will get the best 

 and get them home fresher than did they lie around 

 in stockyards awaiting purchasers. The practical 

 disadvantage of this, however, is that on the range 

 the buyer must pay the rancher's price; if the sheep 

 go on to market he sets the price himself. 



It is especially desirable in buying on the range 

 that the purchaser should take care to weigh at least 

 a portion of the stuff and make due allowance for 

 shrinkage in shipment, else he may buy very dearly 

 without being aware. In advising the feeder to be- 

 ware of thin native feeders the writer is aware that 

 he is prejudicing his very subject and aim the 

 building up of flocks of natives in all the regions east 

 of the great ranges. It must be remembered, however, 

 that in most of this region food is so abundant, both 

 of grass and grain, that almost any sheep in health 

 will be fat when it goes to the market, and there- 

 fore snapped up eagerly by the killers, except those 



