WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 941 



tory may not be expected to increase, while sheep will, as in the past, 

 continue to increase in numbers so long as the present favorable con- 

 ditions continue. 



The breed or class of sheep most numerous in Arizona are Merinos, 

 or the grade of the French and the Spanish breeds. Most of the orig- 

 inal flocks came from California, and only a small per cent of the sheep 

 here are of the Mexican foundation, and these are found principally in 

 Apache County. However, they are what are known as improved 

 31 < \icaus. In Apache County there are 150,000 sheep, of which one- 

 third are improved Mexicans. The sheep of the Territory are large and 

 robust, very similar to those raised in Wyoming and Montana. 



The range in numbers of the different holdings by individuals or 

 firms is from 500 to 50,000 head. That is the extreme of the number 

 owned. No one owns over 50,000 and none less than 500. They are 

 run in flocks of from 2,000 to 2,500, and as a rule very few owners have 

 Jess than one and not many over three or four flocks. 



The general character of the range is such as is common to a moun- 

 tainous country, consisting of the mesas or table-lands, the mountain 

 range and the sandy and alkali valleys. The limestone soil is the pre- 

 ferred range. In fact any kind of range that is convenient to water is 

 utilized. The summer grazing is had in the mountains and table-lands 

 of northern Arizona, where the altitude is about 6,000 feet. Here there 

 is considerable pine timber which supplies refreshing shade during the 

 hot summer days, and for water the sheep are supplied by permanent 

 springs, although in some localities where water is scarce they have to 

 be watered from wells or tanks. During the winter the flocks are taken 

 down to the valleys and plains. 



Sheep-owners do not have any food or shelter other than that pro- 

 vided by nature, and the land utilized for grazing is public domain and 

 is used in common. Some sheepmen own or control water rights, but 

 that is the extent of land holding. 



Each flock has one or two herders who are constantly with the flocks, 

 which are kept moving from place to place on the range so as to keep 

 the sheep on fresh pasturage. The cost of sheep-raising is confined 

 mainly to the expense of herding, lambing, and marketing the wool. 

 Extra help is required during the lambing and shearing seasons, so 

 that the total cost is made up by the expense of handling. The feed 

 is free for all. 



On account of the constant attendance both day and night of the 

 herders with the flocks, the loss is quite small from either the depreda- 

 tions of wild animals or exposure. The average loss from wolves or 

 other wild animals does not exceed from 1 to 5 per cent, or a general 

 average of about 2 per cent. The loss from exposure is somewhat 

 larger, a range of 3 to 10 per cent, or an average of not less than 5 per 

 cent. The sheep that are lost from this source a,re the weak lambs ancl 

 aged ewes. 



