14 SHEiEP FARMING IJST AMERICA. 



tractable, easily kept within bounds, not fastid- 

 ious in their appetites but willing to devour 

 most weeds along with the good forage, and 

 they leave behind them a wake of fruitful soil. 



In America sheep fanning is little understood. 

 Sheep are kept in a more or less desultory man- 

 ner, having the run of some hill pasture or 

 woodland, fed at intervals in winter, sold off 

 when prices become low, bought up again with 

 the return of higher prices, given small care 

 or encouragement, often afflicted with parasites, 

 internal and external, a side issue to the fanner, 

 profitable in spite of his neglect, yet not often 

 assuming the dignity of a business of them- 

 selves. There are several reasons for this state. 

 It is in part a heritage of the days when sheep 

 were little valued for their flesh and were kept 

 mainly for their fleeces. It is in part a result 

 of our once cheap lands and insufficient labor 

 with which to till them. And in large part it 

 is because of ignorance of profitable methods. 

 When sheep thrive their owners gladly reap 

 the profits; when they become diseased and un- 

 profitable it is usually charged to "bad luck." 

 There need be small element of luck or chance 

 in sheep management. There is ahvays a rea^ 

 son for thrift and for unthrift in the flock. There 

 need rarely be any disease in the flock. A 

 healthy sheep is certain to be a profitable one. 



-There is at this time good reason for think- 

 ing seriously of these problems of sheep hus- 

 bandry because of the increase in mutton con- 

 sumption and the curious parallel fact that 

 the production is decreasing. April 1, 1903, 



