226 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



will soon enable tlicm to have a flock which will produce annually much value 

 in wool and mutton. It is a noticeable fact that the average farmer pays too 

 little attention to the form of his sheep, which is an essential element in keep- 

 ing either for wool or mutton. IIow many farmers of Genesee county, I ask, 

 stopped on entering their yards this morning, to cast around them for the de- 

 fects of carcass whicli plain are to be seen in every flock, and I think far more 

 so tlian among their cattle or horses, and tlie only reason I can ascribe for this 

 is that they are more in numbers and smaller, and it therefore becomes more 

 difficult to individualize. 



The first thing to be regarded in a sheep is its form. It should be of good 

 size, wide between the eyes, a strong nose with good nostrils, short neck, heavy 

 shoulder, and should rise well from the back, carry well forward to neck and 

 head, rather than drop ; the slioulder should grow wider as it nears the ground, 

 so that forelegs stand wide apart and straight, not bowing toward each other at 

 the knee, a well rounded rib and a broad loin. IIow many fail in these three 

 points, and tliey are of vital importance. The wide breast to give room for 

 strong lungs, tiie round rib to give place to the digestive organs and fat upon 

 the kidneys, without which the animal is unable to bridge over the long 

 droughts of summer and the sudden changes of winter. The fine wool sheep 

 had been bred for many years previous to its introduction into this country, with 

 special reference to laying fat uj)on the kidney in times of abundance of feed, 

 to be used in times of scanty herbage. This is not so of the Downs and mutton 

 sheep generally. They have been bred by skillful hands to lay fat upon the 

 outside, to meet the demands for choice mutton. Many of us not familiar with 

 the especial purposes the different kinds have been bred for, charge our failure 

 with this kind or that to the particular breed, while we should charge it prin- 

 cipally to our own ignorance. The broad loin next, extending well forward, 

 gives the animal what is termed a strong back. The hind quarters should be 

 as heavy as is consistent with the general make of the animal, the ham full and 

 rounded, hind legs well apart, the farther the better. They should be very 

 nearly straight from the buttox down to the ground; the legs should be short 

 and strong. I know so little of the long and middle wooled breeds, that I will 

 confine my remarks to the fine wool grades and full bloods. I ai)prehend, how- 

 ever, that the above description will not be amiss for the other classes. As for 

 wrinkles or folds, I will say but little. They are used to thicken the fleece, and 

 are not as generally used by the wool grower as they should be, although of 

 late their more general adoption signifies their value. 



All who read the proceedings of our meeting of breeders and wool growers 

 last month at Marshal, have seen this point fully discussed. After the form 

 comes the fleece, and I think in this very few have taken pains to acquaint 

 themselves with what they really want, or what the manufacturers require of 

 them ; but many join the cry for long white wool, and some of the buyers who 

 are no more judges of wool than the average wool-grower, aided this cry. Of 

 course I do not refer to any of the good citizens of Flint. I have in my posses- 

 sion letters from manufacturers, agents of Ijong & Albany, which prove satis- 

 factorily to me that the wool from our high bred Merinos, wrinkly ones at that, 

 are as yet worth the most to them where the breeder has paid sufficient atten- 

 tion to the quality of their fleeces, and by this I mean those fleeces which open 

 brilliant on the sheep, and freely crack or cut in leaves without being ])ulled 

 and picked apart, leaving those little fibers running criss-cross, so to speak, 

 whicii denotes harshness of fleece. It should show a well defined crimp, run- 



