WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 739 



tion without abandoning the country. He readily discovered that the 

 country was well grassed all over, and he also observed, perhaps with 

 envy, that his neighbors to the westward in Montana were fairly pros- 

 perous, while he was depressed if not actually distressed. They were 

 raising sheep, horses, and cattle profitably, with a small outlay of time 

 and money, on nature's own supply of native grasses which were no 

 better in quality and less abundant in quantity than in North Dakota, 

 where they were not utilized to any measurable extent. He was led to 

 believe that live-stock husbandry was a necessary requisite to perma- 

 nent prosperity in North Dakota, and would succeed in many portions 

 of the State independent of wheat culture. 



Whenever any agricultural or grazing country reaches a point of 

 adversity, that innocent and frequently despised domestic animal, the 

 sheep, seems to be necessary for its salvation; therefore, the sheep in- 

 dustry is now one of the most promising resources of the young State 

 of North Dakota. 



The sheep of North Dakota, especially those brought into the State 

 during 1889-'90, are quite similar to those of Montana, as the bulk of 

 them came originally from that State. The predominating strain is of 

 the Merino blood, with a growing tendency favorable to the mutton 

 breeds. Especially is this so in the eastern portion of the State. In 

 Eiiimons County, which has the largest number of sheep of any county 

 in the State, 80 per cent are grade Shropshires, and the remaining 5 

 per cent are pure-bred Merinos and Shropshires. A large number of 

 sheep represent mixed crosses of fine- wool and medium- wooled sheep. 

 Other flocks represent a cross of French Merino and grade Shropshires. 



There are very few large holdings of sheep in the State, except such 

 us are owned by companies or "promoters," who sell or put them out 

 on shares. The flocks put out on shares range in size from 100 to 500. 

 Regular sheepmen own flocks of about 1,000 in number. In the eastern 

 part of the State, in the Red River country, where farming is general 

 and the sheep are mainly Shropshire or Cotswold grades, 25 to 100 

 sheep comprise about the regulation flock. In Richmond, the south- 

 eastern county of the State, which has about 5,000 sheep, the flocks 

 run from a dozen to 200 head. Generally speaking, in the farming dis- 

 tricts of the State, 500 sheep are considered a large flock, and in the 

 western or central portion from 2,000 to 3,000 are called a large hold- 

 ing. In Steele County, near the eastern border, the largest flock owned 

 is said to number only 1,200 head. While the industry is yet in its in- 

 fancy, it is a matter of noteworthy interest that sheep husbandry is 

 being carried on by a number of owners, and the sheep owned through- 

 out the State represent almost every breed, grade, or cross found else- 

 where in this country. The business can well be regarded as an ex- 

 tensive experiment with brilliant prospects before it; but some time 

 must elapse before it settles down to a permanent basis. 



The native prairies afford most of the grazing. In the Red River 



