shepherd's purse

Widespread lawn and roadside weed (Capsella bursa-pastoris) of the mustard family, native to the Mediterranean and now found worldwide. Growing as high as 18 in. (45 cm), it is easily recognized by its flat, heart-shaped, green fruits, borne along the branching flower stalks, which arise from a dandelion-like rosette of deeply cut or almost entire leaves at the base and bear clusters of tiny white flowers. Shepherd's purse has been much studied to understand embryogenesis (development from zygote to seedling) in flowering plants.

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or Alsatian

Breed of working dog developed in Germany from traditional herding and farm dogs. A strongly built, long-bodied dog, it stands 23–25 in. (58–64 cm) high and weighs 75–95 lbs (34–43 kg). Its coat is of coarse, medium-long outer hair and shorter, dense inner hair and ranges from white or pale gray to black; often it is gray and black or black and tan. Noted for intelligence, alertness, and loyalty, it is used as a guide for the blind, as a watchdog, and in police and military work.

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Shepherd is a village in Isabella County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census.

History

Philatelic History

In 2008 Shepherd had a pictorial postmark to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of its Maple Syrup Festival.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,536 people, 619 households, and 417 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,586.7 per square mile (611.4/km²). There were 641 housing units at an average density of 662.2/sq mi (255.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.35% White, 0.46% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.65% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.34% of the population.

There were 619 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the village the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $40,804, and the median income for a family was $49,135. Males had a median income of $33,011 versus $21,950 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,689. About 9.2% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

• Shepherd Area Historical Society Website
• Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival