THE LARGEST SHEEP FARM IN THE WORLD. (From the Kansas City Times.)

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 293, 28 March 1874, Page 2

THE LARGEST SHEEP FA RM IN THE WORLD. (From the Kansas City Times.)

S :, uP o. im.ijo, of the groat uheep and wAol-raninc ttrm otArmijo and Bice*, of Aihuquuqut*. Np« Menco, was 1,1 KhttFan Cm th*, othr- ,. IV 00 h', wai ,-^fon,

New York. Tins gpntlemnii represents more pastoral wealth than any other individual in the Western State i, and may justly be termed a mutton millionaire, since Ins wealth in sheep, mutton, nnd woo!> is almost beyond correct estimation. ' With a view of giving our readers some slight idea of the extent to which weol raising is earned on in Now Mexico, a condensation of an interview held between this gentleman nnd n reporter for this paper is given below. Mr P. C. Armijo is justly entitled to the mode3t title of the larpest sheep-raiser of America-. His father's herds roam over a range of threo hundred square nnlei or tern tory, and in Dumber*- are beyond human count. The Armijos have been engaged in the miaiag of slteep and wool for exportation eaat for several generations past. They are unable to estimate tbeir herd* accurately, but a rough gness aggreguteo tbe actual number at something over half a million. Years ago» whsn Kansas City wae tht shipping and trading point bftween ihw Mexico and tho cut, Mr Armijo, ban., uwl to, (hip his thousands of Qt^ta from this city by river to St Louis. It seems almost incredible for people living enst of the great plain* to reolwe tbe Tast eaten! and innumerable nerd* of theep rawed yenrly in the mild, dry climate of New Mexico. Three families claim nearly two million herd of sheep, which are scattered over a range of country more than 300 miles square. Iv reply to a- question as to whether the Indians troubled their immense herds, he replied — We aro not troubled by Indian depredations to any serious extent. The Indians are troublesome at timei, but we scarcely ever miss what they drive off or slaughter. They seldom kill our flocks wantonly ard only take for food when they pass one of our herds. Ho related an incident in 1835, when the Apaches and Njuajoes drove off 85,000 he*d at one raid, and thought not less than 30,000' bead hud been stolen by Indians since then. The Indians drove off about half that number between 1861 and 18$5. " But," said Mr Armijo, "we hardly miss them." The Mexican sheep-raiser generally handles his herds in small flocks of about 3000 head. Each of theio herds is under the personal superintendence of an OTerieer, who is assisted by shepherd*. At night these immense flocks collect close together around their shepherds, and sleep guarded by well-tramed dogs. These shepherd* ore paid from ten to fifteen dollars per month the year round — the orerseer about twenty- five dollars per month. The Mexican sheep are smaller than American sheep, but are more healthy ami hardy. They clip about 2H> of wool to the fleece : tbeir wool ib short and fine, and from all that cau be asteitained by tradition handed down through several generations, were pure Spanish merinocs brought from Spain by Cortex's expedition. It ia the intention of the sheep raisers of New Mexico to improve their herds by direct importation of pure Spanish merinoes. It is this errvnd that has taken Mr Armijo east this present fall. Several hundred head of fine sheep were sent to him this summer from Independence, Mo, ; and with proper crosses made, Mr Armijo expresses himself confiident of being able to produce fleeces from half-bred Mexican sheep weighing 4£lb to each fleece. These great aheep-raisers are now engaged in shipping large henl» of sheep to CoL-vrado. Mr Armijo. last season drove about 12,000 head to Denver, and signifies his intenti mof doubling his drove next season. He says that, with proper care and attention-, sheep in sufficient numbers may be raised hereafter upon the plains of Kansas and Colorado to supply the entire world with mutton and wool. During the conversation, ho related an incident of a man who, three* years ago, purchased 4500 head of sbecp from Araijo and Bacca at the low price of $2 each. To-day that man has 20,000 sheep, worth $40,000, to say nothing of the enormous proti a accruing from the salo of wool during that tims.