Position of Sheep in Profitable Farming 7 



grazing makes them highly eflBcient in keeping weeds 

 in check. Of the numerous plants regarded as 

 weeds, cattle and horses eat about fifty per cent. 

 The proportion not eaten by sheep is less than ten 

 per cent. A single sheep does not destroy a whole 

 plant at one time, but moving as they graze, each 

 sheep in passing nibbles a few leaves, and when the 

 flock has passed, the plant is defoliated. Weedy 

 cattle pastures into which sheep have been turned 

 have been found to carry the sheep and an added 

 number of cattle after the weeds were destroyed and 

 the grass given fair chance for growth. Cut-over 

 timber lands on which the growth is not too rank 

 may be cleaned up almost as effectually as can be 

 done by goats, although to do so it is necessary to 

 confine sheep rather closely to such areas. In 

 their usefulness in keeping weeds in check, they do 

 a service that must otherwise be performed by paid 

 labor, and they do it effectually and at times when 

 farm hands often cannot be put at such work. 



Other features of sheep-raising are of interest in 

 a business way. The revenue from wool and that 

 from the lambs and mutton come in in different 

 parts of the year. While in a general way values of 

 mutton and lamb accord with the wool market, it 

 seldom happens that both products have to sell at 

 bottom prices at the same time, and the wool clip is 

 easily stored with practically no waste or deteri- 

 oration if it is desirable to hold for a higher price. 



