INTRODUCTION, l1 



exceedingly, with occasional discouragements, 

 and there is no prospect of the production of 

 good, well-finished mutton being overdone for 

 some years to come. It can not be overdone 

 until one of two things happens, either the 

 American people must fall into calamitous days 

 or a great number of farmers must turn shep- 

 herds and learn the business from the ground 

 up. Neither of these things will happen soon. 

 Sheep husbandry is not dihicult but it requires 

 close attention to details and that we wiU not 

 many of us give. The few who will patiently 

 learn the art will therefore prosper the more 

 exceedingly. 



It is a happy thought to look forward to the 

 day when well kept, happy flocks will abound 

 in our land. Then weeds will disappear, to be 

 replaced by luxuriant grass and forage crops. 

 Then trim fields, each with its appropriate 

 green growth, will be dotted with snowy-fleeced 

 ewes and plump, rollicking lambs, each one a 

 picture of health and thrift ; shepherds ' neat cot- 

 tages will shelter an intelligent and thrifty class 

 of farm laborers, great piles of manure will 

 be accumulated in winter time to replenish the 

 old fields, the farm boys will find enough to 

 do and sufficient encouragement for doing it 

 and will remain on the farms and then agri- 

 culture will be truly an upbuilding, a creation 

 of fertility and farms where now there is little 

 of profit left to country dwellers. 



Let no one imagine, however, that these 

 blessings follow the mere act of buying a flock 

 and placing it upon the farm. "Sheep are 



