930 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



250,000 ; mules, 600; burros. 1,000; cattle, 5,000, and 250,000 goats. 

 They are now endeavoring to exchange horses for cattle and sheep. 

 The Indian agent, 0. E. Vandever, estimated their wool product for 

 1889 at 2,000,000 pounds, and the value of their manufactured blankets 

 that year amounted to $39,000. Their wool blankets are considered 

 quite an industrial curiosity, and are sold iu the east at very high 

 prices. The looms used are quite crude and primitive, and a great 

 deal of time is consumed in the manufacture of the blankets. 



The sheep subsist through the year on the grazing lands; during 

 the summer are pastured on the plateaus, and in the winter in the 

 valleys. The climatic conditions are quite favorable, and contagious 

 diseases and epidemics are unknown. Neither shelter nor feed is ever 

 provided for sustaining the flocks during winter. 



The wool product is handled mostly at Albuquerque, and in 1890 

 amounted to about 2,000,000 pounds, mostly carpet wool. Messrs. 

 Eisman Bros, estimate that 35 per cent of the clip is straight carpet, 

 25 per cent blanket, and the remainder coarse, medium wool. At least 

 one-third of the wool is black. Their sheep are larger in size than the 

 bulk of New Mexican sheep, and dress from 60 to 70 pounds. 



The flocks belonging to these Indians vary in size from 300 to 4.000 

 head, and ewes, wethers, and bucks are run iu the same flocks together 

 throughout the year. They have no regular period for lambing, but 

 lambs come at all seasons of the year. Shearing takes place at any 

 time from March to May. These Indians seem to have little desire to 

 improve their flocks, and when good bucks are given them by the Indian 

 agents they are very apt to barter them for other stock. The Navajo 

 Indians are about the only flockmasters that seem to be content to 

 grow carpet wool. 



PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATIONS. 



In the following pages are given the experience and observations of 

 practical sheep-owners and others who are identified with the industry 

 and are qualih'ed to speak authoritatively on the subject under con- 

 sideration. Different sections of the Territory are represented, and 

 various pertinent questions relating to the industry are briefly treated. 

 Coming from men practically engaged in sheep raising in New Mexico, 

 these are valuable points well worthy of consideration : 



Troy Bros., Eaton, Colfax County: 



Our only real scourge, or at least the worst, is tlie scab, and until we can have 

 protective legislation preventing its spread by nontaxpaying, floating Arab flocks, 

 we will always have trouble. A liberal bounty on animals would reduce our losses, 

 but the scab, scarcity of water, and difficulty to restrain floating herds, does more 

 to retard the improvement and investment in the industry than all else. 



The Jaffo-Prager Company, Koswell, Chaves County: 



We find sheep-raising in this country a very profitable business. We think we 



