FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 2o6 



be no mistake ubout this, and hence the necessity of dealing witli men whose 

 lionor is well established rather than believe the stories of a class of sheep 

 peddlers who infest our State yearly with a fixed up lot of pedigrees, and' sheep 

 which, when bought, sheared and kept here never again present so good an 

 appearance as when purchased. IJuyers have no remedy. The peddlers are 

 gone, and even should they be here not many are responsible. Were I to de- 

 scribe a desirable ram it would be something as follows : First pedigree, 

 Should want him so bred and his character so firmly established by type or 

 line breeding tliat lie should be able to impart and stamp his good qualities 

 surely on his offspring. 2d. lie should be of good size, weighing when ma- 

 tured and in good condition, from 130 to 150 pounds. He should have a short,, 

 broad, clear-colored nose, with a large wrinkle or more crossing it above the- 

 nostrils, Avhich should be open and large, thick, small velvety ears, free from, 

 tan marks, a smooth, fine, well turned horn, the head well covered with wool,, 

 and I do not care if the face is also covered. Short neck with heavy folds,, 

 especially on the underside, supported by a strong broad pair of shoulders., 

 legs large boned, short and well covered, a good, broad, strong loin, smoothly- 

 connected with a broad pair of hips, a little sloping perhaps, broad, heavy- 

 tail, with heavy wrinkles, heavy flank, with a straight hindleg. The body 

 should be compact, deep and round, with a few heavy folds extending towards 

 the belly, well filled behind the forward leg, also inside the hind leg, couplings 

 good, the whole body covered with a very strong, dense fleece of wool two and 

 one-half inches long, tlic tinge rather tending to the buff color. If some jars 

 appear on the folds would not object, but would j^refer not to have them upon 

 the body. The fleece at a year's growth should weigh in the dirt 25 pounds or 

 upwards. I do not in a ram's fleece like too much of the Avhite appearance, as 

 my experience has satisfied me that the tendency is toward fineness and thin- 

 ness. With such a stock ram breeders need have little fear of the result. 



It is said by some that the merino ewe is not a good breeder. This is a 

 mistake, if she be properly handled and fed. Breeding ewes need a change of 

 food, with plenty of exercise. AVheat straw, cornstalks, marsh hay and clover 

 hay, all in turn, are good for them, and a small amount of grain should be 

 given if needed. Good clear water is also a necessity. 



Every flock of breeding ewes should be driven a certain distance every day, 

 and particularly so, shortly before lambing. One theory of the cause of goiter 

 in lambs is from a lack of exercise of their dams. The experience of some 

 breeders is tliat a large percentage of lambs wiiich are troubled with this malady 

 (and it agrees with my own experience) are tliose which are dropped in the 

 latter part of the lambing season, attributing it to a less amount of exercise at 

 this time of the year than preceding it. 



That wool-growing to the farmer of to-day is one of the substantial means of 

 prosperity, no one for a moment denies. That it has proved remunerative in 

 the past, plenty of proof-positive can easily be found. As a matter of history^ 

 I have api)ended a list of prices of wool, wiiich was prepared by a gentleman in- 

 Boston, taking Ohio wool as a basis and covering a period of fifty years, com- 

 mencing in 1827 and including 187G. The prices are made on a gold basis.. 

 The lowest price was in 1843, being 30^ cents per pound. Tiie highest price- 

 was in 1831, being 60^ cents per pound. The average price for the fifty years 

 is 43 fi7-100 cenis ])er pound. From this, deduct commissions, freight, the 

 difference between Ohio and Michigan wools, and the average for our wools, 

 would Le about 35 cents per pound. 



