16 SHEEP t'ARMiNG IN AMERICA. 



force. On many of the drier ranges the sheep 

 have overpastured the grass till much of it has 

 been destroyed root and branch and thus its 

 carrying power is much decreased. Settlers are 

 taking the land in every irrigable valley, and 

 fencing it and there is thus in every way a 

 steady diminution in the numbers of sheep 

 on the ranges. Nor can it be seen how this may 

 be checked and their numbers made to increase, 

 seeing that alfalfa 'forms almost the sole forage 

 grown in the arid region, and this is not a crop 

 suited to careless grazing of large bands of 

 sheep by hireling herders. 



Consider again that the prejudice that at one 

 time existed against mutton eating has almost 

 died away. The cities are eating all the mutton 

 that they can get and are paying for it much 

 more than they are paying for beef or pork. 

 There are doubtless several excellent reasons 

 for this. Fashion is one. The fact that crowds 

 of our people visit England every year leads 

 them to form the "lamb chop" habit. Mutton 

 is better fattened and prepared than formerly. 

 There is offered a very much greater supply of 

 lamb mutton than of mutton from old sheep, 

 and that helps. Then the old-time type of small, 

 wrinkly, thin-fleshed sheep has about disap- 

 peared, and that helps. Tiiere Is demand for 

 lambs from babyhood up to a year of age, well 

 fattened; there is demand for mature mutton. 

 Whether the pack^s have or have not con- 

 trolled the price of beef they have not been able 

 or desirous of keeping down the price of mutton. 

 For ten years feeders of lambs have prospered 



