The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-09-13
SHEEP RANCHlNG.
Some Things About the Business That Are
Not Pleasant.

Not Pleasant.
In 'lambing time" on a sheep ranch
the ranchman is as sOlicitous regarding
his flock as is an eastern farmer con-
corning his newly planted crop. In a
flock consisting of thousands of sheep
hundreds of lambs are dropped in IL
day. and the herders are kept proper
tionately busy seeing that the new
corners are not trampled on and that
the mothers are willing to assume the
responsibilities of maternity. Sheep
are peculiar in this respect. Often they
do not own their newborn lambs or
display the least interest in them Sheep
being so much alike in appearance it is
difficult for the herder to discover to
which mother a certain discarded or
phan belongs, so the lambling must be
carried off the range to the camp to be
fed by hand until strong enough to fol-
low the flock
After the sheep are cOrralled at even
ing the careful herder goes out again
over the range to search for missing
ones that have not been able to keep
up with the flock; for. if left out at
night, both mother and offspring would
become a prey to the wolves that in
fest the country. Sheep herders are
paid about twenty-five dollars a month
and get their blankets, tents and pro-
visions, and they earn every bit of com
pensation they receive. Whether they
herd on horseback or on foot the life of
the sheep herder is hard. The plan is
frequently adopted of not penning the
flock at night in order to prevent the
wool from becoming discolored and
soiled, as it must be when large num-
Der of sheep are huddled together in an
enclosed space The flock is driven up
into fresh, clean quarters every night;
quarters that are unfenced and can be
changed as often as seems desirab BILE.
Their charge being thus unprotected,
the herders must literally sleep with
che eye open and one ear on the alert.
Often in the silent watches of the night
they rise, build fires, fire off guns and
resort to other devices Tor frightening
off the wolves.
Sheep are very timid One of their
number. black sheep, getting up in
the night to change his position, will
sometimes cause the whole flock to
dash off frantically, they know not
where, afraid of they know not what.
The dark shape of the black sheep
frightenS his companions who are near
him, and then it is an easy matter for
the panic to be communicated to the
rest. The sound Of the Simultaneous
movement of cOuntleSs scampering feet,
sound resembling the heavy rumbling
of thunder, wakens the herders. and
they must be up and away, following
over briar and bramble, scrambling up
hills and stumbling down over rocks
and stones, until they succeed in head
ing OFF the runawayS. Perchance by
that time daylight is breaking, and
the night they counted upon for repose
has been spent in fatigue. Another
reason for not penning the flock is that
the sheep are then at liberty to rise
and commence feeding as early as they
please, the herders keeping a lookout
over them as they prepare their hasty
breakfast. The secret of making wool
growing profitable is to raise the sheep
at as small expense as possible. This
can readily be done in a section of
country where the grass grows most Of
the ycar.-American A priculturiSt