THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE 



That sheep husbandry in America is not yet beyond the 

 threshold of possible advancement cannot be gainsaid, 

 and that such is the fact is exceedingly unfortunate for 

 American agriculture. Great Britain alone has nearly 

 half as many sheep as all the United States. The reason 

 why the industry thus languishes cannot be discussed 

 here. This book' has been written in the hope that it may 

 aid in some degree in giving this exceedingly important 

 industry that place which it should occupy in the agri- 

 culture of this continent. 



Several excellent works on sheep have been written 

 in America, but in none of these has the discussion been 

 confined to feeding and management. In all of them the 

 breeds and breeding have been more or less dwelt upon, 

 and just to that extent has the space been curtailed that 

 could have been given to discussing feeding and man- 

 agement. No work has been written previously which 

 dwells solely upon these phases of sheep husbandry. That 

 there is room for such a work will be conceded by all who 

 have thought upon the question. 



In writing this treatise, the Author has aimed to give 

 in orderly sequence and in simple language the subjects 

 discussed and everything pertaining to the discussion of 

 the various phases of these. The effort has also been 

 made to discuss both feeding and management with such 

 fullness and comprehensiveness as would not be incon- 

 sistent with conciseness of statement. The breeds of 

 sheep, the general subject of breeding and the general 

 principles that relate to feeding are not dwelt upon, as 

 these have been discussed at some length in works pre- 

 viously written by the Author. 



St. Anthony Park, Minnesota, 1914. 



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