CHAPTER XV 



SHEEP 



Sheep. — The earliest experiments in sheep-farming 

 in British East Africa clearly demonstrated one im- 

 portant fact — that certain qualifications and local 

 knowledge must be acquired by the farmer before a 

 successful result could be obtained. Even to-day the 

 characteristics and requirements of a large proportion 

 of the Protectorate as a sheep-raising country are very 

 little known ; this being so in view of the fact that 

 fashion to a great extent has allocated the various 

 districts to various industries, and that newcomers 

 have hitherto been inclined to follow the footsteps of 

 the earlier settlers who have established positions 

 which indicate success. However, in those parts, and 

 more especially in the Rift valley, where the sheep 

 industry has attained a considerable scale, history has 

 shown that the amateur, as well as the professional, 

 shepherd who has had some months' experience on an 

 established farm can safely count on a satisfactory 

 return from his flock ; provided always that his con- 

 stant attention is devoted to its supervision. Whatever 

 may be a man's previous experience with sheep, and 

 however well such experience may serve him later 



when questions of type and selection arise, a period 01 



i 4 6 



