146 PROFITABLE STOCK RAISING 



Sheep, in the northern part of America, did not 

 thrive and increase very rapidly until late in the 

 colonial period, principally on account of the depre- 

 dations of wild animals, and because of oppressive 

 trade regulations imposed by the mother country. 

 In striking contrast was the development of the 

 sheep-growing industry in all of the Spanish- 

 American colonies. The, original stock introduced 

 into the West Indies and Yucatan was carefully 

 preserved, and under the intelligent and fostering 

 care of the Spanish government, the number of 

 sheep rapidly increased. They spread over the 

 country with the same rapidity as the early Span- 

 ish settlers, soon obtaining a foothold in Mexico 

 and spreading from there northward into Texas, 

 New Mexico and California. As early as 1560, it 

 was written by a Spanish historian that " much 

 woolen cloth was made this year in New Spain." 

 By 1750, sheep were very abundant in the Spanish 

 province which is now New Mexico, and in 1773 

 they had spread into southern California. From 

 T-77S to 1850 was the period of greatest Spanish 

 activity in California, when many missions were 

 established, and the first beginnings of permanent 

 settlement were made. Every Spanish mission 

 owned and fostered its large flocks of sheep, and 

 by 1825 the 17 missions between San Diego and 

 San Francisco owned more than 1,000,000 sheep. In 

 addition to this, the early ranchers of that period 

 owned, perhaps, as many more. All of these south- 

 western sheep were of the Merino type, being rela- 

 tively heavy wool producers and very light meat 

 producers. 



At a period early in the nineteenth century the 

 present territory of New Mexico supported prob- 

 ably a greater number of sheep than it does 



