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Show 20,000 Sheep Cut Grass for U. S. Navy HASTINGS. NEB. Top-secret territory ter-ritory at one of the largest ammunition ammu-nition depots In this country Is invaded in-vaded dally by 20,000 noisy little lawnmowers that wander over 30, 000 acres near here. These nonchalant grass cutters are sheep approximately 15,000 bawling ewes and 9,000 of their frolicking frol-icking offspring. Priority to roam the range was Issued to the animals to reduce the danger of grass fire? near navy explosives. "Grass fires on these windswept Nebraska plains could be catastrophic, catastro-phic, and so far, the sheep are doing do-ing a good Job of keeping the prairie prai-rie growth cut," said L. M. Hale, former navy lieutenant who Is now design and contract superintendent in the depot's public works department depart-ment "We've never had a fire get away from us," commented one employee, "but we have fought as many as 300 a day along the Union Pacific railroad bordering the plant area." The grazing has grossed about $10,000 for the navy. The profit is deposited in the United States treasury treas-ury and later channeled to the navy's allotments. Noel Cover of Cozad, Neb., the owner, grazes sheep and cattlu In 14 states. Indians and their squaws are the sheep herders. Biggest hazard to sheep here are dog packs, considered worse than coyotes. About ISO sheep have been killed by dogs. A government trapper trap-per li now using cyanide guns gainst the marauders. In one winter 600 bales of alfalfa and 60 sacks of soy bean pellets were consumed each day by the hungry hun-gry flocks. |