Evening star., 1914-12-20

sheep sometimes dig down through
the snow and as a rule the SHOWS melt
soon after falling. The grasses of the
Strait are noted for their richness and
sweetness. They are excellent for the
production of both mutton and wool
and they would feed far more stock
than they do We're it not for the rats
AS 1T is, this pest is so great that it
now lakes three or more acres to sup
port one sheep. The rats not only eat
the grass, but they burrow through the
earth to such AN extent that it is i'm
possible to drive over the plains with
wagon, and OH horseback one has to
ride very carefully. Cattle are used as
rat exterminators. They are driven
over the ground and the rats in their
burrows arStramped to death by them
The sheep farms of TERRA del F'uego
are much like those of Australia They
are fenced with wire. and the sheep are
kept III large pdddoc<s, some of which
are as big us an average American
township. The ordinary flock contains
about two thousand head, and each
flock has its own shepherd aided by
dogs. The dogs are Scotch "ollieS, so
Intelligent that they seem almost hu-
man They will pick any sheep from It
flock ut the command of their master
who directs them by i motion of his
hand which way to go. If he waves to
the front. they know they are to go
ahead If he throws his hand to the
rear they come back, and the holding
NJ of his maud III the air brings them
to a standStill
The most of the shepherds are Scotch
men. who came to the Strait of Magel
Ian on Year contracts. They re-
telNe about $50 or $40 :, month, and la We
III addition house rent fuel and meat
Their houses are two or three room
shackS scattered over the farm The
fuel cones from the woods, and their
meat is mutton from the hocks they
herd. ON the whole, the farms are al
most self-supporting.
1he most important part of the year
at the Strait of Magellan is when the
shearlng is done. This season begins in
January, and on the big ranches it may
last for two months. Much of the work
is done by professional shearers, al
though the shepherd comes in to help
handle the animals. on some of the
farms TINS work is paid for by the
heece The present scale of wages
hNes the rate at Si.13 per hundred. or IA
little more than cents per fleece
When man begins to shear he is given
u booklet. in which is recorded the num-
per OF animals he shears during the
week ana the amount to his credit If
any dispute arises it is to be settled by
q committee composed equally of the
owners and employees The company
furnishes the shears, and every man
$50 '"ie p.iitS OF ShearS at the start
ana an additional pair for each thou
SAND animals. At cents a sheep the
iia Ian n can make very good wages
Ihe average fleece of wool now pro-
nuceu , IN llerra del fuego is much
larger than the average fleece of Iba
United States. 1t runs at seven and a
nan pounds and upward. The wool is
OF good quality, having IA staple of
50 me price as the wool of New Zealand
The sheep are not washed and the wool
is exported in its greasy state The
most OF II goes to Great Britain. and
I,if ,, Ieliainuer TO Germany, Belgium and
France. 1t is shipped in bales of Asa
pounds net.
The capital of the Chilean territory of
the MaSellans is Punta Arenas. This