SHEET. Sheep hold a much lower rank in the agricultural economy of the United States than in that of most modern nations. The industry has labored under the disadvantages of a vacillat ing tariff policy, and for a number of years has had to compete with the growing Mocks of Aus tralasia and of the Plata region of South America. In the United States the number of sheep increased from 28,477,591 in 1870 to 50,626, 026 in 1884, after which year there was a rapid de crease in nu tubers. During the middle of the nine teenth century the merino was the prevailing breed, and in 1870 more than four-fifths of all the sheep in the United States were either pure breed or grade merino. In 1900 it is estimated that 30 per cent. of the flocks in the range coun try were of mutton and that from seventy to eighty per cent. of those in the farming States had a predominance of English blood. The merino blood still predominates in the range States. In consequence of this change the aver age value of sheep nearly doubled between 1870 and 1900. The average weight of the fleece in creased from 4.8 pounds in 1880 to 5.6 pounds in 1890 and 0.7 in 1900. Thus, although the number of sheep decreased, there was a large gain in the total wool production• amounting to 16.8 per cent. in the decade 1890-1900. The num
ber of sheep in the United States in 1900. outside of the Western division of States, was not so great as in 1850. Sheep-grazing began to spread rapidly in the Western division about 1870. Since 1890 there has been most remarkable de velopment in sheep-grazing in the northern Cor dilleran States. In Montana, the foremost sheep State in the Union (4,215,000 head in 1900), the increase amounted to 79.2 per cent.; in Wyoming, which ranks third, the increase amounted to 367 per cent.; while in Idaho it was 449.5 per cent. In New England the dairy industry has sup planted sheep-raising. so that the number of sheep in 1900 was less than one-third the number in 1850. Since 1880 there has been a decline in the North Central States, particularly Ohio. Tex as in 1890 bad attained first rank, but in 1900 had only one-third the number of sheep reported for the earlier year. Elsewhere through the Southern States the industry was never im portant, and has declined generally since 1850.