CHAPTER XLI 

 NATURE OF THE RANGE AND OF THE SHEEP 



Nature of the Range. — The sheep ranges of the West are often 

 arranged' hi three geographical groups as follows: (1) the south- 

 western ranges of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado; 

 (2) the ranges of California; and (3) the northwestern ranges of 

 Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon. 

 These groups difEer most in climate, but they are also somewhat 

 different in the methods employed in raising sheep and in the quality 

 of their mutton and wool products. 



Types of Land Utilized as Range. — ^The unenclosed types of 

 lands over which sheep are herded are plains, foothills, and moun- 

 tains. In order to have ideal conditions all three types of range 

 should be available. Plains serve as an excellent winter range, but 

 in summer they are too hot and too dry. Mountains furnish ideal 

 range in summer because they are cool, well supplied with water, 

 and comparatively luxuriant in plant and shrub growths, but with 

 the exception of a few places in the southwest, they cannot be used 

 in winter because of severe snowstorms. Foothills are located 

 between the summer and the winter range and hence furnish feed 

 during spring and fall. On each type of range, three to fifteen 

 acres are required for one sheep. 



Plains. — In practically every state in the West there are vast 

 stretches of arid and semi-arid plains which present a monotonous 

 picture of sage and sand. To the person accustomed to running 

 sheep on luxuriant pastures, these plains would seem entirely inade- 

 quate, for as a rule, the edible plants and shrubs are small and 

 thinly distributed on the ground. The scanty growth on which 

 the sheep feed, however, has the power to produce growth and fat 

 to a degree which always surprises those who have had no experience 

 with it. The sheep grazing over a large area in the course of a day 

 nip off a grass blade or a weed here and there, or trim an occasional 

 palatable shrub, but they come to the bedding ground at nightfall 

 with a fairly well -satisfied appetite (Pig. 221). 



Foothills and Mountains. — As a rule the feed in the foothills 

 and mountains is more luxuriant and succulent than that on the 



393 



