772 SHEEP INDUSTRY OP THE UNITED STATES 



counties, ranking as to number of sheep in the order named: Carbon, 

 Uinta, Fremont, Albany, Sweet water, and Laramie. The four remain- 

 ing counties have a few thousand sheep, but cattle and horses now rep- 

 resent the principal live-stock interests in those counties. 



The breed or class of sheep most numerous in the State are of the 

 Merino type,, mainly of Spanish blood, with a fair representation of the 

 French. The coarse- wool Mexican sheep is strongly represented in 

 many flocks as the basis, but has been crossed with the Merino until 

 many of the original and objectionable qualities have been more or less 

 eradicated. The Mexican foundation, however, has been very service- 

 able to the industry because of their adaptability to the country and 

 the methods in vogue of handling sheep; however, a large number of 

 the first sheep brought into the Territory came from Oregon and Cali- 

 fornia, mainly large-bodied Merino grades. The class of sheep brought 

 in from the States east were more or less improved, many being pure 

 breeds. Nearly all the breeding rams were thoroughbred. During the 

 past five years quite a number of Cotswold, Southdown, and Shrop- 

 shire bucks have been used, and generally with satisfactory results. 

 At present the Shropshire rams are much favored. The cross produces 

 an animal which gives great satisfaction. There is probably no other 

 State or Territory in the open-range country that has uniformly so fine 

 a class of sheep. A marked characteristic of the sheep of Wyoming 

 is their large bodies and heavy fleeces. This is attributed largely to 

 the climate. Owing to this characteristic the sheepmen have made 

 more money during the last two or three years than their fellow crafts- 

 men on the open ranges. The larger carcass gives superior mutton 

 qualities. 



The grazing land is a hilly and mountainous country and open plains. 

 In the southeast part of the State the plains are fertile and produce 

 buffalo, bunch, and a native blue grass in abundance, while the desert 

 or "bad lands" of the plains, in Carbon and Sweetwater counties, pro- 

 'duce the various kinds of sage, such as the common, sweet, salt, and 

 black sages, together with bunch grass. During winter the sheep feed 

 on these sages or browse on the sagebrush and greasewood among the 

 foothills; and when water is not abundant or accessible on the plains, 

 they have to depend on the snow for water. During summer the water 

 is supplied by the creeks and running streams or springs, which have 

 their source in the mountains. Timber is of course scarce and is not 

 needed for shade, as in the warmer climates. The natural protection 

 in winter consists of hills, bluffs, and mountains. 



Sheep that are brought in from other States usually do well and be- 

 come acclimated without serious loss or deterioration. This is especially 

 true of sheep brought from the North or West, while those brought 

 from the East usually require the first year for acclimation. After that 

 they seem to do as well as the home raised animals, and improve in 

 size and weight of fleece. Notwithstanding the method of letting the 



