824 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



land in both counties lias nearly doubled in value, is more fertile than 

 ever, and is covered with a luxuriant growth of blue grass. Intelligent 

 farmers will tell you that this transformation is owing to the large num- 

 ber of sheep now kept. 



We find the majority of the sheep of Iowa in the southeastern part 

 of the State and east of the central. As stated above, Van Buren 

 County heads the list with 43,295 head. Mahaska comes next with 

 very nearly 25,000, then follows Bremer with 17,529, while Jefferson, 

 Davis, Henry, and Lee have each about 15,000. Then come Marion 

 and Wapello with 12,000 each, while Johnson, Decatur, Fayette, and 

 Monroe have 10,000 head each. In the assessor's returns sheep in 

 Sioux County are valued at 50 cents per head, the lowest of any county 

 in the State, while Davis County values her sheep at $2.33, the highest 

 value of any in the State. 



With the growing* demand for mutton in the United States and the 

 natural advantages possessed by Iowa for sheep husbandry, in the way 

 of rich pastures and cheap feed, together with the large numbers of 

 well-bred sheep, the outlook for the industry in this State is very 

 encouraging indeed. The farmers are beginning to better appreciate 

 the importance and profit of keeping small flocks of good sheep, and 

 each year they are increasing their numbers. Every year more of the 

 large mutton breeds are imported from England, and the flocks gener- 

 ally throughout the State are being bred up and improved. The com- 

 mon sheep are mostly Merino grades crossed by Shropshire or South- 

 down rams, or the long-wooled breeds. 



There are more than ten times as many hogs in Iowa as there are 

 sheep, and it is said that one hog will consume as much feed in a year 

 as ten sheep will; besides he is more liable to die of cholera than the 

 sheep of other diseases. 



The number of sheep in Iowa has increased 18 per cent during the 

 last two years, and the value per head has increased 22 per cent during 

 the same period. During the same period the cattle values have 

 declined 1 per cent, hogs 1J per cent, and horses 9 per cent. Iowa 

 sheep have increased in value more rapidly since the reviving of the 

 sheep industry in the United States than that of any other State in the 

 Union. In value per head this State outranks those of Vermont and 

 Ohio, the former the cradle of the Merino breed in this country. 



Sufficient importance is not given by most farmers to the age or 

 breeding of rams to be used on the flocks. Some use a ram before he is I 

 quite a year old, a few a common scrub sire, yet these are not in the 

 majority, nor are they as a rule successful shepherds. At the head of j 

 a majority of the flocks is found an imported or American-bred regis- j 

 tered ram, 1 year old or past. The usual time for breeding is in No- 1 

 vember, or from the middle of October to the middle of December, and 

 one rani is permitted to serve from 40 to 50 ewes; yet, if he does not I 

 run with the flock, and is allowed but one service, one ram is sufficient j 



