52 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA. 



spontaueous product, creation of environment, 

 to feed those heathery hills. 



Of course they had to start from somewhere, 

 and the legend that they swam ashore from 

 some sinking ship of the Spanish Armada is 

 harmless and' as good as any. The manage- 

 ment of these hardy Black-faced sheep is sim- 

 ple; every day the shepherd seeks to see each, 

 ewe of the flock, climbing high over heather- 

 clad hills with his dog at his side to accom- 

 plish this. It is his part to be sure that none 

 of the ewes have accidentally gotten upon their 

 backs. They are shorn ixi June or July, being 

 brought down- to the farmstead for that pur- 

 pose. It taltes a good dog and an agile shep- 

 herd to round them up and bring them down, 

 and it is customary to tie their feet when they 

 are shorn, since they struggle like wild things. 



In winter they are brought down to the 

 fields and given a bite of hay and sometimes 

 turnips. It is foundy however, that too many 

 turnips encourage a growth of horn in the un- 

 born lamb that sometimes destroys both the 

 unfortunate lamb and its mother. 



Thus it is seen that this most beautiful and 

 picturesque sheep is one that presents unusual 

 diificulties.to the would-be breeder in America. 

 He must beware of overfeeding in winter; he 

 will find them hard to drive and pen; he will 

 find them somewhat harder than other sheep 

 to restrain within boundaries. And still there 

 are situation^, like the mountains in northern 

 Ontario, in the higher regions of California, 

 Oregon and Washington, and along the coast 



