The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-06-07
The Worlds Sheep.

y
scale. Mr. r. r. Bnwker gives the
following interesting facts about the
sheep population of the world at
large and of the United STATE in par
ticular:
1t is roughly estimated that the
world contains at least half II billion
sheep-possibly over 1000, 900
propucing about two billion pounds
of wool. The worlds crop of wool
can only be guessed, but it is certain
that the humble sheep contributes at
least $500, 900. 900 annually. IN W0O',
to the wealth of mankind. Our own
wool crop, greatest in 1884, when it
was estimated at 30S 900, 900 pounds,
was in 1888 pa, 100000 pounds.
Nearly half the wool we wear is of
foreign growth, the figures of 1887
being a crop of $4,000, 900 pounds,
an Import of ll4.000.000 pounds,
and the contents of 133. OOO. 900 pounds
wool III imported goods.
The variations in the number and
the United States are very nOtewOr-
thy. Previous to the war, 1840-1S60,
the census showed about 10000 900
sheep, nearly all east of the MISSISSIPPI
pi river the sheep in New England,
nearly 100000 in 1910, were but
half this in 1860, ard the same was
true in New York, but the new West
more than made up the balance. The
agricultural report for 1888 gave 50.-
100000 probably an over estimatel,
of which but q ,0000O0 were east of
tho Mississippi. over 5000 900 of the
balance being on the Pacific coast.
The current report estimates for 1889
1859, O79 sheep, valued at $1,000
1863. The great majority of sheep
raisers in this country, even In the
wool, state Of Ohio, are the farmers
who keep from twenty-five to fifty,
or even hundred h cad, as a help to
the farm. East of the Mississippi the
number of f1Ocks reaching thousand
or more is not large. The sheep is
one of the small farmers best ser.
wants. 1t not only produces wool
and mutton, but it keeps his fields
fertile with manure, cleans them. of
stubble and weeds. and by causing
vegetation to grow on the hillside,
caunteracts the waste of soil "by
which the farmer feeds the rivers
from the heart of his pOcketb0Ok."
In the far West. on the contrary,
the sheep are in huge flocks, often
quartered on government lands, sup
plying an exclusive occupation to
hundreds of ranchmen. The census
of 1880 reported twenty-one sheep
ranches in Texas. New Mexico and
California, aggregating 3,O00.000
head, an average of 100000 to the
ranch. 1t is reckoned in CalIfnrni,
that two and one half to four acres are
required per sheep. while on the
small farms of the east ten sheep may
be fed to the acre of pastulage. The
California sheep, largely of French
Merino stock, are of unusual size,
known as "rustlers," because they
must rustic about for their food.
Many of them are from the flock of
w. w. HOLSTER. who in 1852, re-
cOgnizing the adaptability of this new
country for sheep growing, returned
to Ohio and procured 5000 of the
best sheep he could find of which but
third reached the coast. But the
increase was so rapid that in IA few
years he had over 5000 aud sold
about $780, 900 worth of wool a veal.
The long midsummer drought com
pels a spring migration up into the
Sierra Nevada mountains. and one
may be sure to see great f1Ocks of
from 1000 to 5000 head making their
months or six weeks ascent to the
heights. The great sheep runs be
come Il Botany bay for all sorts and
conditions of men-"diggers." "greas-
ers." and college graduates together.
One fiockmaSter employed one year
"a bishops son. a banker, an editor,
civil engineer and book-keeper,"
harvesting their wild oats" while
the sheep were cropping theirs, for it
is on this plant that the sheep Craze.
Shearing is done twice year, large
~ by Indians, who are said to be
'more patient and gentle than Amer
icans," though they shear only three
sheep while the Americans shear five.
These travel largely in clubs or COM
panies, under command of a captain,
who offer their services at five or six
cents fleece with board, or seven
cents without. The great wheat
farms and vineyards of California
gain by having sheep turned in to
CLEAN and Craze after the harvest,
leaving the fields enriched by their
manure.
ONE RULE FOR ALL,-I think