WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 925 



an article on " Sheep and "Wool in New Mexico," gives a liberal estimate of the actual 

 expenses for a flock of 2,500 sheep as follows: 



Pay of two men and their provisions, etc $720 



Pay of extra help and provisions during lamhing season 150 



Ten per cent losses, including meat for hands 650 



1,520 

 According to this estimate, which included the annual losses from all sources, the 

 cost would be 60 cents per head, or omitting that item, about 35 cents. 



In briefly enumerating some of the local advantages of New Mexico 

 for sheep husbandry, the most apparent and far-reaching are the gen- 

 eral adaptability of the climate and grazing land for sheep; free range 

 on Government land; abundant low-priced labor; extensive areas of 

 fair to good grazing lands which can not be utilized for any other pur- 

 pose, owing to their altitude and irreclaimably arid nature; the preva- 

 lence of the native gramma grass, which covers most of the plains, 

 stands dry weather as no other grass does, and although of short growth, 

 is extremely nutritious and sweet. Eemarkable as it is, this grass 

 possesses this quality throughout the entire year, enabling stock to 

 subsist on it the year through. The supply of water, whether from 

 running streams, wells, or even from reservoirs, is pure. The natural 

 heathfulness of live stock in this Territory is a decided advantage. 

 Disease is unknown, with the exception of scab, and this, with improved 

 methods of sheep management and the enforcement of the new scab 

 laws, can be eradicated. 



The climatic conditions are specially favorable for the animal indus- 

 try, and sudden changes of temperature are unknown. The weather 

 may truly be said to be both stable and equable. There are no extremes 

 of either heat or cold, making the climate a sort of happy medium, a 

 fortunate condition, in view of the existing methods of conducting the 

 industry without shelter and no particular habitation. The days are 

 usually quite warm, but the nights are delightfully cool and invigor- 

 ating. 



The chief disadvantages and obstacles encountered by the flock- 

 masters of New Mexico are enumerated by them as few in number but 

 far-reaching in their effect, and of serious consequence to those engaged 

 in the industry. Scab is commonly mentioned as the chief drawback 

 by most sheepmen. Though it is easily cured, j et, owing to the go-as- 

 you-please system with flocks, there is no reasonable ijrospect of im- 

 munity from it, or has not been until the last legislature, early in 1891, 

 enacted a stringent law which is published in this report. Under its 

 provisions sheep-owners have better protection, and its rigid enforce- 

 ment will thoroughly eradicate scab from the flocks of the Territory. 

 Another source of inconvenience which interferes with the develop- 

 ment and improvement of the range for the accommodation of the , 

 sheep is the l-.nd laws, which prevent flockmasters from acquiring 

 range which they should control to place the business on a better and 



