MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 233 



RUNNING SHEEP ON SHARES. 



Kunning sheep on shares is no new thing, since we are told 

 that it was practiced in South Africa as long ago as 1840. The 

 Farmer's Magazine mentions where one-third of the profits of a 

 capital of $5,000 laid out in furnishing sheep by a sleeping partner 

 in a sheep 'farm amounted, in the course of six years, to $5,725. 

 At the end of the six years the original $5,000 was withdrawn from 

 the flock and the remainder of the flock, which numbered 4,000 

 head, was equally divided between the partners. The active partner 

 purchased the land, lived on the farm and attended to the flock. 

 The practice is still common in a great many countries. In the 

 southern part of England letting sheep on shares is much in vogue. 

 The usual custom there is for one party to furnish the sheep and 

 the other the equipment, food, etc., and the wool and the lambs 

 are divided. This method, in certain instances, also applies in 

 this country. A method common in some sections is to let the 

 ewes for a term of years, two, three or four, as the case may be, 

 generally three, the owner having the original number of ewes 

 returned to him at the end of the term. No fixed rule applies to 

 the division of the wool, since some flock owners give but a small 

 percentage of the clip, while others share half with the renter. 

 The division of lambs is sometimes half and half, sometimes one- 

 third. In the latter case the owner gets the larger share of course. 

 These methods of renting applies only to common stock. The 

 owner of a purebred flock of sheep could not afford to lease out 

 his flock, which originally cost him so much money, on the basis 

 of half the wool and lambs, for one reason it takes an expert to 

 run a purebred flock, and there is too much at stake. 



Where the renter is a good farmer and knows something about 

 the care of sheep, the renting of sheep is a profitable business, but 

 where the farmer is not a good care-taker or has no knowledge of 

 sheep, the profits are not likely to be very great. There is a 

 great deal of difference in how sheep are taken care of, and no one 

 better than flockmasters who make a practice of renting their sheep 

 know this. The renting of sheep just simmers down to this : 

 If they get into good hands they will return big profits to all 

 parties concerned, but if they get into poor hands the renter is 

 likely to receive back his flock in far poorer condition than it was 

 when he leased it and will derive very little if any dividends from 

 the \renture. 



SHEEPSKIN RUGS. 



To prepare sheepskins for rugs they should be soaked in a 

 tub of water several days, wool side down, and weighted down 

 with something suitable. When taken from the water they should 

 be put into a tub of hot soap-suds, to which a little lye has been 



