Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/87

SHEEP. 65 SHEEP. heavy-flceccd slipep and has many admirers in Europe and America. 'arious other types of sheep not included in the above chissilleation are of local importance. The Iceland sheep are remarUable for frcijuently having three, four, or five horns, as do also some sheep of Northern Russia. The broad-tailed or fat-tailed sheep, found in man}' parts of Asia, are chiefly cliaracterized by the enormous accumu- lation of fat on each side of the tail bone. The tail is esteemed a great delicacy, and to protect it from being injured by dragging on the ground it is sometimes sujiported by a board or small pair of wheels. The fat of the tail is often used in place of butter. The fat-rumped sheep of Tartary have similar accumulations of fat on the rumps, falling downi in two masses behind and often concealing the short tail. The Astrakhan or Bokharian sheep have very fine wool twisted in spiral curls. The specially beautiful pelts of very young or still-born lambs of this variety are known as Astrakhan fur and are used for trim- ming garments. Siieep-Raisixg was originally and to a large extent has continued a pastoral industry: and because sheep can thrive upon scanty vegetation and succeed best when given free range, they are popular in countries where land is cheap and pastures abundant, and where the industry can be carried on extensively, as in South Ameri- can countries (notably Argentina). Australia, New Zealand, the Western United States, portions of Russia, and South Africa. These are now the leading sheep-raising countries of the world, although the industry is still promi- nent in (ireat Britain, France, and Spain. In the United States sheep-raising has under- gone many changes, due to the prices and demands for certain qualities of wool (q.v. ) and mutton, the tariff, and other conditions. As an industry it now flourishes mainly in the middle and far West, where it is at its height and is considered one of the most profitable branches of agriculture. The census of 1900 showed a total of nearly sixty-two million sheep in the United States, nearly 55 per cent, of which were on farms and ranges in the western division of the country. Montana headed the list, with over six million head, followed by Wyoming, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, etc. The growing appreciation and the increased demand for landj and mutton in the United States has increased the revenue from flocks, and has resulted in changes in the kind of sheep kept. As an indication of the increase in lamb and mutton consumption, the reports of the Union Stock Yards at Chicago may be cited. In 1885 about 1,000,000 sheep were received for slaugh- ter: in 1890 a little over 2,000,000: in 1900 about 3.500.000; and in 1902 over 4,.500,000, val- ued at over $19,000,000. Of those received in 1902 more than 3. .500.000 were slaughtered there, the largest record for any year. A large pro- portion of these came originally from the sheep ranches of the West, although many were fat- tened farther east. In 1870 more than four-fifths of the sheep in the United States were either pure-bred or grade Jlerinos. During the closing decade of the nineteenth century there was a marked tendency to increase the mutton breeds or crosses having better mutton qualities. In the States east of the Mississippi River the coarse or medium-wooled mutton breeds have gradually gained prominence because, as population has increased, meat has become more important than Wool. In the Soiithwcst the Merinos still pre- dominate, being held by some to be better •rustlers;" but in the Northwest the aim of the majorit' of sheep-raisers is to breed a general- purpose animal, with wool of medium fineness, sliearing 7 to 8 pounds, and of good mutton qualities. This is usually brought about by crossing the Merino or Rambouillet with the Cotswold or Lincoln, thoroughbred stock, espe- cially bucks, being the foundation of the flocks on the better ranches. The management of sheep under range condi- tions diliers widely from that adopted in the Eastern States or in older countries. The natu- ral conditions and' environment in the Western States, the extensive scale upon which the sheep industry is conducted, the high price of labor, and the comparative inaccessibility of some of the larger ranges, have resulted in a tolerably uniform system of management, somewhat modi- fied, however, by climatic and other conditions. I'lirmerly the sheep were kept almost entirely upon the public domain, but with the increasing competition for this open range and the set- tling of the country, the practice of owning or leasing land has become very common, although there are still 'tramp' bands which rove from south to north and back with the season. In many eases immense tracts of land are acquired by lease or purchase, and this usually means the control of a much larger tract. The leased tracts are inclosed with fence, and are supplied with facilities for watering the stock. Generally, how- ever, the sheep-raiser does not owti or lease all the land required for range, but relies upon the open ranges and the forests in the mountains for smnmer grazing. The land which he controls is the winter range, and is usually located in prox- imity to the headquarters of the ranch. Qn the range the bands number from 1800 to 3000 sheep, depending upon the character of the coun- try. Each band is in charge of a herder, as- sisted by dogs which prevent the sheep from sti'aying away and guard them at night. Camp tenders supply the herders' wants and main- tain a lookout for good range. In the fall the sheep are brought to the winter range, which is more protected from the snow and has not been fed down during the summer. 'here no provision is made for feeding when storms prevent ranging heavy losses are likely to occur. The best sheep men, however, put up alfalfa (q.v.) or prairie hay for such emer- gencies, and some even plan to fatten the sheep somewhat during winter by this extra feeding, to prepare them for the market. On some of the ranches several hundred acres of alfalfa are raised (costing from 75 cents to $1.25 a ton), and as several crops are cut during the season, a hay gang is kept employed throughout the sum- mer. In the early days buildings were rarely used, but experience has shown that while they are not absolutely essential, increased profits are secured and the business made more certain by providing protection for the sheep, especially during lambing time. This protection usually consists of rough sheds 50 or 75 feet wide and often 200 feet long. Corrals, usually without cover, are located at various points over the winter range, and the sheep are placed in these