, 1873-09-15
SHEEP IN NEW MEXICO.
How the Immense Herds in the
Tcrritory Originated.
Deterioration OF tho Original Stock-.-The
Grcnt Profits of Sllccp-Raising.

business, can form any adequate idea. Tho
area Of Now Mo1ico Ia t21. .20 square miles, or
r, ,500, 900 square acrosi This imu,onHo extent
OF country IL
MAINLY DEVOTED TO rAsTuHAuE,
although the soil is vol adapted to agriculture.
Having been practically closed ngalnnt i1nmigra-
lon,--hrat. by tho 1aat-century ideas of tho
groat Mexico-spanish lnnd-ownora; and,, eec-
ond. by tho diflcultoH In tho way Of roaching tho
Torritory,- improvement in tho manners and Gill;
toms Of early settlers has beon slow. As paa-
tora region, almost the wltolo Territory frniahos
unrivaled advantages, especially for ahoop-grow-
Ing. Tho highest mountain elevation il about
5000 feet. aud tho valleys l1ayo moau elevation
Of 4,Ou0 foot. Thcro yalleos hayo q soil OF great
fertility; and tho gramma," " mezquita," and
other nutritious grasscs generally grow in pro-
fuhlon to tho top Of the highest mountains. h
sulubrious character being mnny thousand foot
above tho sca-loyol, 1t is especially adapted to
tho hoalth Of all animals. Thus We find that
eheop arc absolutely froo from all tho diaoasoH
which Affect tlom In tho statcs; foot-rot. scab,
and tho multitude of ailments which there ro-
quire constant attention. arc hcro unknown.
However, strange 1t may seem to tlaoao who
or eight months Of ouch yoar, 1t is novertho!egH
truo that, in this favored section Of tho country,
NO PROVISION Fon wrNTEn-FEED
ia required. Stock ranges from January to
December over Tho vaat and uninhabted plains
Of thiB pastoral region, finding everywhere food
and water. Tho mild, alort Wintera reqntro no
provision for shelter other than tho natural pre-
caution Of seeking tho sholter OF timber during
tho fo" suow-falls. Tho surface Of tho oo,lu-
try ie much broken, and trayorscd by Chains
OF mountains, whoao general direction Is north
and south, whi1e intervening aro large areas
Of tablo-iandH. This succession Of mountain
md valley Affords amplo defonso against tho
heat Of ermnor, as well as tho bleak wlnda Of
winter, which would otherwise Bwcep with ro-
siatlosa fury over tho country: Now. Moxico il
practically m ard country; but Providence hns
providcd, In tho snowy range Of tho Rocky
Mountains. q
NEvEn-rA111Na SOURCE OF WATER.
Tho territory il wa.otcd by the Rio Graudo-
tho Milo OF America a,--Chama, Navajo. pecos,
Rod, Mlmbres, San Juan, Colorado, and num-
berleas small atreanB fed hy tho everlasting
This much, although altogether too briof, is
necessary to give faint idoa Of this paradise Of
shoep-Eaiaers, Witch nasaas continue a. now, for
many ysars' to be t pastoral country Tho oar
dependency of Mcxico, wore Mexican s!atesmen,
cuiuont soldiers, or prominent capitalists. rho
having obtained concessions Of land from Gov
ernmont. came horo with their families and de-
The loWor orders. It became necessary to
ae against % tBe 1nans oh'0S who roa"sa p1ose''s IT
will ovcr tho plains. Worry little attention Was
established aud tho principal occupation was
raising cattle and sheep for food, and horaeb for
riding. Ihore boing no foreign market for meat,
hidea, tnllow, or wool, tho adaptation Of tho soil
aud climate to stock-ercwing has caused
WONDERFUL INCREASE
Of tho original 10ckB and lords. Tho market
for cattle aud horses being moro ACCESSIBLE tAeir
numbers havo not incroasod in al great d ratio
as lave tho sheep.
Tic easy, careless habits Of the Castiliau mag
mates hnve suffered thu product Of the original
Spanish Mcrluo to aetoriorato to 9 fearful ex-
toni; whore tho pure-brcd Merino bi1ck of the
present day shears from l8 to 81 pounds, tho
yields from az to 81, yet in all tho points is
ovidontly
L1NEA1 DESCENDANT
OF the priced Spanish 1lerlno. This bad breed
ing has not affected tho quality OF tho mutton,
as that 10 tho most delicious over plncod before
gourmnn1 or epicuro. Mexican wool is now tho
lowest grade in the market, owing to tho short
noHs Of staple, the miserable manner Of Bhoar-
ing, and the poor packing. Tho plioe ut Pueblo,
sa'ta 70, Albuquerque, and other points whero
buyers congroga!o, il from IL to rs cents per
pound.
10 ahow
THE Is1MEXsE PROFITS
OF engaging iu the sheep business in New Mex
leo. a few figures, for which guarantee nccur
acyt arc submitted: EwoB can bo bought, be-
tween October and "a My, for 90 per head. The
sIip, Of wool, sny 211 pounds Mt IS ccnts. giees
81. u month from birth). Tho uaua1 practice is
to sheer lamb at months, which yields, say
pounds worth 90 conts. We now have in ono
year from making tho Investment, tho owe,
wool. worth s1.12I; total, s5.87. or nearly 100
Per cont ADVANCE on tho investment. Tho cost
OF hordng and caro ia small, as tho natiyo Mex
lean works for nothing and boards himself."'
5000, each, requiring three hordsmon, poniog.
and doga. These herdsmen arc we'll paid at 915
per month. and their food coats loss than $40
por month. Thus it will be aeon that. to enter
ssg % sno.s The g sR and
ia limit to tho profit. Especially ia 1t profit
able to those who oroaa PIP tho original stock
with pnro-blood rams. Experience has alown
TINT each crosB
DounLEs TIE YIELD
and vastly incroases the quality OF tho wool.
So well satisfied Of this are somo OF tho loading
atoop men that Quo gentloman-P. g. Armijo, Of
AlbuQuorQue-has within fow days purchased
100 fine Spanish hlerino bucks. at prices ranging
from $3.50 to 1856, and proposes hereafter to 80
still more largely into the enterprise Of inl-
proving tho blood Of his Bhaep.
ThiH gentleman represents d family OF several
brothors who own Ia all BOO, 600 Hhoop, and Is
Armito Is Co., tho united amounts Of whose
locla roach noar
A 11IL11DN HEAD.
Buch is mere ol1tno OF IN interest which, at
no distant day, il bound to affect tho whole na.
tion. With the advent Of rallroad8, Of which
the Texas Pacific. Denyor l. Rio Granao Atchi-
son, Topeka g. Santa 10, and Atlantic l. Pacific,
will cross tho Territory, such imtnenso herds
must 10 mado smaller, the mutton and WOOL itn-
proved, and brought more directly to tho notice
of consumers, ".
Michigan Htnte Fair.
GnAND RAPIDS, Sept. 14.--Trans OH all tho
railroads arrived last night an.l to-day loaded
with aninlale, maohnory, aud merchandise for
tho State Fair, to opon on Monday. Already 40
attn la aro ncetnfaI Iy hnraaa Ant 1ff} AT ALA t,v