218 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA. 



ers, perhaps from a dried-up range, of fairly 

 good quality. They^ too, will go to the killers, 

 though they are almost thin enough to sell at 

 a fanner's price. The next pen may show some 

 ideal feeders^ big and strong and active, yet in 

 thin flesh. Probably it did not rain on their 

 range, or they traveled too far. The killers 

 pass them by and the feeder gets them at a 

 cent or more off. 



In the next .pen will be seen a different type 

 altogether, a band-of wild, scarred, thin, sharp- 

 backed, weazened sheep, looking as though all 

 the plagues of Egypt had struck them. They 

 are the product (jf an ignorant and stingy own- 

 er, a careless and unprofitable shepherd and a 

 starved and dverpastured range, together with 

 a dearth of raitf and snow. No one wants them 

 and they sell very low indeed. Sometimes they 

 are great bargains and if carefully nursed 

 for a few months will lay on flesh fairly well 

 and being bought so cheaply will reward well 

 their feeder. There is, however, the disadvan- 

 tage of having your yards filled with stuff of 

 which you are aS^med till near the last of the 

 feeding seasoht '.,They are more likely to make 

 money for their feeder than the good feeders 

 because they are bought so cheaply and weigh 

 so little. 



However, if there is not at home plenty of 

 good clover or alfalfa hay, or if the feeder is 

 not willing to bijy for them wheat bran and a 

 trifle of oilmeal, if they must be fattened on 

 corn and cornstalks mainly it is doubtful if 

 they are of the class that he should buy. Ema- 



