Another reason why the farmers of Idaho should feed lambs 

 is that the sheepmen of Idaho produce as good a feeder type as can 

 be grown anywhere in America. The sheep owners' of the West have 

 been progressive and have expended a great deal of money for im- 

 proved blood to grade up their flocks. Wool has not been neglected 

 but especial attention has been paid to mutton, by securing pure-bred 

 rams principally of the Shropshire, Hampshire, Cotswold and Lincoln 

 breeds. The lambs come into the world backed by mutton parentage. 

 In most parts of the sheep raising districts, the grass starts early in 

 the spring enabling the ewe to suckle her lamb properly. In mid and 

 late summer the flocks seek the higher valleys and mountainsides of 

 the forest reserves and unreclaimed lands where sweet, rich grass is 

 found in abundance and the lambs grow strong and healthy. Blood 

 and environment produce big-framed, vigorous, quickly grown 

 lambs of well developed mutton type and ideal as feeders. 



For years Idaho bred lambs have been especially in demand by 

 the expert feeders of Colorado and other feeding districts. At the 

 National Stock Show at Denver, Colorado, and at the International 

 Stock Show at Chicago, Idaho grown lambs have won repeatedly in 

 their finished form in competition open to all America. With the best 

 of lambs and cheap feeds of quality, home feeding certainly needs 

 to be encouraged and developed. 



A PLACE FOB SHEEP OX THE FARM 



In the central and far eastern states small flocks of sheep are found 

 on a large percentage of the farms. It has been found that ewes and 

 lambs on the farm will make use of and do well on some farm wastes 

 and feed material unsuited to other animals; that sheep consume and 

 keep down 90 per cent of the various farm weeds, are valuable in 

 destroying brush and undergrowth, will make good returns from 

 rough and unproductive land and return the farmer a fleece worth 

 $1 to $2.25 and a lamb that can be sold at from $3.50 to $7 in late 

 summer or fall, and the farmer does not greatly miss the feedstuffs 

 that go to produce these readily marketed products. 



There is a similar field for small flocks in Idaho and other north- 

 western state. In the northern and central parts of the state, summer 

 fallows foul with weeds, could be cleaned up and made to yield a 

 profit through sheep. Lanes, rough lands, aftermath following the 

 hay crop and wastes of the grain fields are often of little value, but 

 could be utilized to great advantage by sheep. Roughage for keeping 

 a small band of ewes over winter is usually abundant on every farm. 

 Great areas in these sections do not grow enough mutton to enable 

 the local butcher to depend upon it for even a reasonable percentage 

 of his necessary supply. 



In southern Idaho are grain and hay fields to be cleaned up, 

 sugar beet leaves with a feeding value for sheep of $3 to $5 per acre, 



