, Btjbbau of Agkicultubb. 195 



fundamentally a spring Iamb proposition with wool as 

 an important by-product. Tlie State lias a pasturing 

 season of long duration, the summers are not extremely 

 hot and the winters are not exceedingly cold, hence it is 

 necessary to shelter sheep only for a short time, if at 

 all, during the year. There is an abundance of well- 

 watered sheep grazing land, the transportation facilities 

 are of the very best, and markets for spring lambs exist 

 at the farmer's door. Kentucky, as is the case with all 

 other states, has its drawbacks with respect to the profit- 

 able exploitation of the sheep industry. The stomach 

 worm and the sheep-killing dog are generally considered 

 the two worst enemies of the sheep. The increase in 

 popularity throughout the State of winter forage crops 

 is tending to reduce the dangers from the stomach worm, 

 inasmuch as it makes possible a frequent change of pas- 

 ture. Dogs do the most damage near the small towns, 

 but the annoyance by dogs can be largely eliminated by 

 a little care and watchfulness on the part of the owner. 

 In some parts of Kentucky there are practically no draw- 

 backs to the sheep industry, as the lambs are marketed 

 so early in life that the stomach worm does not have an 

 opportunity to get in its work. 



Kentucky is especially fortunate in possessing a very 

 valuable type of native ewe from a utility standpoint. 

 These native sheep are the heritage of early colonial 

 days, when sheep from southern England were brought 

 to this country by the early colonists. The typical native 

 mountain sheep of this region is an up-standing white or 

 mottled-faced sheep, possessing a rather long neck, legs 

 bare of wool and having a light, open fleece. The ewes 

 have retained many of the desirable features of the south 

 England breeds, and as a result of their environment 

 during a long period of time in this country, have be- 

 come very active and hardy. The better grade of these 

 ewes is an excellent milker, is prolific and makes an al- 

 most ideal mother. 



Since the spring lamb is the chief consideration of 

 the sheep industry in Kentucky, the method most com- 

 monly practiced by the farmers of the State is to cross 

 the mountain ewe with a ram of one of the leading mut- 

 ton breeds. The Southdown has been the leading mut- 



