Sm:i:i'-KAisiN<; IN Humsii ( 'OI.CMT.IA. 



and a species of tick which causes paralysis has caused trouble in the Siiuilkameen 

 District. The Districts of Cariboo and Chilcotin are vast areas in which the cattle 

 interests hold sway, but in the more outlying parts openings exist for grazing sheep. 

 It is imt lawful to run sheep and cattle on the same commonage. A large common 

 exists in the Cariboo and a small one in the Nicola District. The difficulty here, 

 as in most Interior districts, will not be to find summer range, but to obtain land on 

 which to grow the winter feed which must be provided to ensure success. This, 

 in many of the Interior sections, will have to be grown under irrigation. The lower 

 part of the North Thompson Valley and the district around Kamloops likewise 

 affords fine openings under similar conditions. The Southern Okanagan District in 

 the Dry Belt has areas most suitable for grazing sheep, and the snowfall is light, 

 but it will be necessary to winter-feed to some extent. The fruit-growing industry 

 has, of course, taken most of the irrigable hay land available in this district. The 

 Xicola District is already well stocked with cattle, but in the Ashcroft District some 

 large tloeks are run. There are openings also in the East Kootenay District, which 

 is at an elevation of about 3,000 feet above sea-level, with severe winters, making 

 the growing of winter feed under irrigation a necessity. The disadvantage of the 

 northern districts along the Grand Trunk Hail way is the lack of open range. The 

 Coast districts where not settled are almost all heavily timbered. Most of the pure- 

 bred flocks are at present on the smaller (dairy) farms in the Coast districts, mainly 

 in the Lower Fraser Valley and on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Cougars 

 sometimes cause losses, especially on Vancouver Island, but on the smaller Gulf 

 Islands there are no wild-animal pests to destroy sheep except eagles, which occa- 

 sionally take a lamb. 



ADVANTAGES AND PROFITS IN SHEEP-RAISING. 



Although sheep are not as prolific as hogs, they bring returns almost as quickly, 

 and do not require as much labour or expensive grain feed. The returns from wool 

 alone may be generally reckoned as sufficient to pay for the ewe's keep for the year. 

 The lamb-crop should average one to every ewe, so that after deducting interest and 

 cost of labour the returns from lambs and mutton are almost clear profit. Roughly 

 speaking, the gross returns every year should equal the capital invested in the breed- 

 ing flock, with good management. Sheep will eat 90 per cent, of the weeds com- 

 monly found on our farms, converting them into wool, mutton, and valuable fertilizer. 

 Sheep can be made to save a great deal of labour by having them harvest the crops 

 themselves, at the same time enriching the land. Grain left in the stubble and 

 volunteer growth after harvest is not wasted if sheep are kept. On a dairy-farm 

 shiM'p do well put on pastures after they have been eaten down by cows. 



FACTORS GOVERNING CHOICE OF A BREED. 



Our domestic breed of sheep are all descended originally from wild mountain- 

 shecp probably from an Asiatic wild variety. The successful management of sheep 

 is really based on the above fact. Sheep are by nature the inhabitants of only 

 mountainous areas. Their natural home is in the high altitudes, which provide free 

 range, a wide variety of food, and soil conditions which ensure perfect drainage and 

 freedom from the numerous forms of parasites which abound in damper lowland 

 ^oils. Even with those breeds that have been developed in domest ication for low- 

 land conditions, we have to guard all the time against the effects of a more or less 

 unnatural environment. 



WHAT IS THE BEST BREED? 



This depends mainly on the altitude and climate of the locality, kind of feed 

 available, and the nature of the enterprise. Where there are many sheep already 

 in the district it will probably pay yon to choose the popular breed. There arc 

 usually good reasons for it being popular. 



