960 



SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



All expense charged against onr grade sheep except feed and care. Our ranch con- 

 tains 880 acres, about 350 acres bottom land ; the balance rolling, some of it timbered. 



Sam. S. Baechtel. 



In answer to later inquiries as the comparative rate of increase be- 

 tween the pure Merino and the cross-bred Merino and Shropshire, the 

 following table shows the results of records kept thirteen years with 

 the Merinos and fourteen years with the grades. It shows an average 

 of 66J per cent increase from the Merinos and 76 j^ with the grades. 



As sales were made of mutton and lambs at so much per head, a 

 test of comparative growth had not been made, but Mr. Baechtel says: 

 "There evidently is considerable increase in weight. We sell our mut- 

 ton sheep on foot for 60 cents per head more than our neighbors get 

 for theirs, and our lambs for 25 cents per head more than our neigh- 

 bors get." The method of management is thus given: "Our way is to 

 have as many sheds as we have separate fields; five mangers in them, 

 and keep hay in them in bad weather. Never confine our sheep. Our 

 best hay is of native grasses of the country. When sheep are in very 

 low condition we feed grain. Barley the best. We sell our wethers 

 and Down ewes from the flock at two years old and upwards. Sold 

 last two years on ranch at $3.25 per head. Our lambs were sold at 

 $2.25 when four months old." 



It will be observed that the table shows the fall of one year and spring 

 of another. Bred in the fall; lambs the following spring. 



It is in these northern coast counties that the climate in summer and 

 winter enables the sheep to live on the pasturage throughout the year. 

 And provision of either feed or shelter are the exception rather than 

 the rule. The chief exceptions are those who breed the best stock. Of 

 such visited bythewriter,thefarm, barns, and fencingofMr.H.Meacham, 

 of Petaluma.is deemed worthy of description. The estate consists of 

 5,000 acres of fine rolling land; the soil a sandy loam originally covered 

 with wild oats, but now covered with fine short pasturage. In each 



