THE BHEPfifcD*S 



CHAPTER VIII. 



LOCALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES SUITABLE FOR 

 SHEEP RAISING. 



It will be readily gathered from a perusal of the preceding 

 {)ages of this work, that there are certain kinds of sheep specially 

 adapted for certain localities, which have peculiar characteristics of 

 climate, soil, moisture, or surface, and that some sheep will thrive 

 where others would rapidly degenerate. Such has been the costly 

 experience of many persons who have entered the business of 

 rearing sheep with more enthusiasm than knowledge; and the not 

 infrequent losses they havo met with have had the effect of divert- 

 ing others from a profitable pursuit. It is, therefore, wise to study 

 the character of the different sections of the country before choos- 

 ing either a breed of sheep to keep, or a locality in which to keep 

 them. 



The territory of the United States is so extensive, and present3 

 such a diversity of climate, that in considering its adaptability to 

 sheep-raising, it becomes necessary to subdivide it into regions, 

 and consider eacli of them with special reference to this industry. 



THE EAST. 



The States north of Virginia and Tennessee, from the Atlantic 

 ocean to the Mississippi river, constitute the most thickly popu- 

 lated portion of the country. Here are located all the great cities 

 and most of the large towns. To supply the demands of the 

 market created by this large and growing population, there is 

 needed an increased number of lambs and choice varieties of mut- 

 ton. Some of these markets demand a supply for which price is 

 a secondary consideration if the quality is acceptable. The early 

 lambs which, at some seasons, retail for $5 the quarter, are readily 

 purchased, and it only needs that there should be a supply of the 

 choicer varieties of mutton to greatly increase the demand. In 

 this portion of the country indicated as the " East," there are 

 several millions of consumers of lambs and superior mutton sheep. 



To supply this demand, varieties of sheep furnishing a superior 

 quality of mutton are needed, the yield of wool being a secondary 

 consideration. To feed these sheep, pastures of peculiar characters 



