WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI EIVEE. 813 



Yet, while sheep do not rank in number or value with the other classes 

 of domestic animals, there are enough to form the basis of an important 

 branch of the animal industry of the State. Though sheep are to be 

 found in nearly every county, not one fanner in ten raises them. Stock- 

 raising is not to any considerable extent an exclusive business in the 

 State, but is a part of mixed farming. The general farmer raises a few 

 horses, hogs, cattle and occasionally sheep are added. Only a limited 

 number of farmers raise sheep, and the majority of them do so on a 

 small scale. The bulk of the sheep to-day mainly consist of pure-bred 

 or high-grade Cots wolds, Southdowns, Shropshires, Merinos, and Ox- 

 ford Downs — ranking numerically in about the order named. The 

 flocks as a rule range from 10 to 50 in number, where kept on farms. 

 The exceptions are the Merino flocks and those of the men who make a 

 specialty of raising pure-bred mutton sheep. It is stated that in Een- 

 ville County, which is probably an average sheep county of the State, 

 there is only an average of about 6 head of sheep to each farm in the 

 county. What are known as the prairie counties have the largest num- 

 ber of sheep. There seems to be a more general purpose among the 

 farmers in these counties to breed up their flocks as closely as possible 

 to pure-breds. 



The sheep industry in Minnesota is in good condition and thriving. 

 Mutton is the chief object of the sheep-raisers, although the wool prod- 

 uct is by no means lost sight of, and some few breed with special refer- 

 ence to it. Experienced flockmasters breed for both wool and mutton. 

 Sheep now pay the farmer better than any other class of stock, and in 

 the prairie country, those who are now engaged in raising a few sheep 

 find it the most profitable branch of mixed husbandry. 



The most notable recent change in the sheep industry is the change 

 from fine- wools to the mutton breeds, like the Ootswolds or the Downs. 



Sheep raising comj)ared with other branches of live-stock husbandry 

 is more certain in results and requires less capital. It is a significant 

 fact that while the growers of every other class of stock are complain- 

 ing, the sheep-raiser is apparently contented and well satisfied. The 

 only other class of stock which seems to promise equal profits are well- 

 bred horses, and they require considerable more capital. The chief 

 obstacle to sheep husbandry is the fact that it about doubles the cost 

 of fencing. It is believed by most of the shepherds that sheep of the 

 various breeds and grades, without exception, show improvement in 

 both the wool and constitution when brought into Minnesota Irom other 

 States. Breeding animals are brought from the East and wethers for 

 feeding from the West. 



The class of rams used on the Minnesota flocks include all the im- 

 proved breeds, pure-bred and high grades, and occasionally crossbreeds 

 are used as an experiment. However, experienced growers now use 

 pure-bred animals of the following breeds: Cotswold, Oxford Down, 



