838 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



GENERAL FACTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY. 



About ten years ago the most numerous classes of sheep throughout 

 ^Nebraska were the Merinos and their grades, a large number of which 

 were of Mexican foundation. But these sheep have gradually grown 

 less in number each year in consequence of the decline of the sheep in- 

 dustry, which began in this State about 1883 5 but apparently the de- 

 cline ended when the sheep-feeding industry began. Since that time 

 the industry has been on the upgrade, and is rapidly assuming a per- 

 manent basis. The day for the immense flocks on the range has gone 

 by, and the flocks are now much smaller in size. A great portion of 

 the range formerly occupied by these large holdings is now cut up into 

 small farms. The difference from the old regime is more sheep-owners 

 and smaller flocks. 



In many counties, according to the State auditor's report, no sheep 

 are reported, or, at least, they could not be found by the assessor. The 

 counties which report no sheep, or less than one hundred, for the year 

 1891, are as follows: Blaine, Brown, Chase, Dakota, Frontier, Furnas, 

 Gosper, Grant, Harlau, Hayes, Hooker, Howard, Logan, McPherson, 

 Phelps, Eed Willow, Thomas, and Thurston. 



The sheep that are raised in the central and western counties are 

 Merinos, their grades and crosses; while the small farm flocks of the 

 eastern counties consist mainly of the mutton breeds or cross-bred 

 Merinos as well as pure-bred Shropshires, Leicester s, Southdown s, and 

 a few Merinos. 



Eegarding the size of flocks there is a great range as to numbers. 

 The extremes may be placed at from 10 to about 2,000. These flocks, 

 of course, refer to sheep that have been raised in the State. The aver- 

 age flock among the farmers runs from a few head to a hundred or 

 more, while the flocks of the exclusive sheep men do not run less than 

 about 500, and from that upwards. The very large holdings are owned 

 by the feeders who make a business of handling sheep by the thousand 

 but do not breed them simply finish them for the market. They con- 

 tract for western sheep, bring them in late in the fall and feed them from 

 two to four months, then ship to market. Their object is mutton alone, 

 as they usually sell before shearing time. A few shipments, however, 

 have been retained until after shearing in order to secure the additional 

 profit from the wool clip, which more than compensates the anticipated 

 loss of late mutton shipments. 



The general character of the soil of the grazing lands of Nebraska 

 includes almost every kind from the rich black loam to the clay and 

 sandy soil. In the thickly settled farming districts the soil is exceed- 

 ingly rich, and tame grasses are produced in abundance when the wild 

 variety disappears. The lands preferred for pasturing large flocks are 

 to be found in the central and western portions of the State where the 

 land is rolling or broken, and where pasturage is practically unlimited 

 and cheap. Outside of some tame-grass pastures in southeastern 



