402 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



RAMBOUILLET MERINOS IN MICHIGAN, 1899. 



THOMAS WTCKOFF. 



Origin of Eambouillet a La France. On October 12, 1786, Louis XVI. 

 King- of France, placed on the domain of Eambouillet three hundred 

 eighteen ewes and forty rams selected by the most expert judges from 

 the lion races in Spain, permission to do this being granted by the King 

 and Queen of Spain. They were animals of unusual vigor, size, form and 

 of the choicest wool. This experimental farm was established to send 

 out anima's to improve all the wools of France. An ideal race of sheep 

 were to be produced, such as the world had never seen. The keenest ex- 

 pert directors were selected to accomplish this task. In 1870 M. Bernardin, 

 the greatest director ever at Eambouillet, said to me: "The fold at 

 Eambouillet can show by record and statistics that the managers have 

 produced a race of sheep which they sought to produce from the start. 

 That other Merinos are not of the same value or title as those of the fold 

 at Eambouillet, either as to the production or as to the qualities of wool 

 and meat." 



CHARACTERISTICS AS TO WOOL. 



These sheep have the finest wool in the world where bred pure. The 

 crimp is perfect from beginning to end of wick, showing no variations, 

 and the undulations are perfect and different from any other wools of 

 euch greater length, retaining the crimp with tenacity after being sub- 

 jected to elasticity that would destroy it in any other wools. The length, 

 strength and elasticity of this wool have no equal among the fine wools of 

 the world. It is free' from excessive grease, and the fleeces are not only 

 very dense, but of immense bulk, weighing in ram's fleeces 18 to 30 

 pounds, and in ewe fleeces from 12 to 22 pounds, scouring 50 per cent in 

 average wools. 



CHARACTERISTICS, AS TO FORM, CONSTITUTION, ETC. 



They are noted for great vigor, endurance, rapid growth, nutritive capa- 

 bility,' precocity, broad chest, round barrel, long bodies, straight legs, 

 large bone, stout neck, with one or more folds, bright eyes, quick move- 

 ment, unusual fertility and are iron clad as to all ordinary catarrhal dis- 

 orders. Eams attain' to 200 or 300 pounds, ewes 125 to 200 pounds at 

 maturity. A Eambouillet sheep can always be known by his royal bear- 

 ing, stately carriage, rythmical movements, symmetrical action and per- 

 fect development. A judge of sheep can tell at a glance that they are 

 thoroughbred in the highest degree, and, I may safely add, the sheep are 

 not contented unless in care of intelligent men. They always manifest 

 thankfulness for favors shown with usual intelligence in such animals. 



IT IS NOT WITHOUT FORCE THAT RAMBOUILLET FRANCE AND 



RAMBOUILLET U. S. A. 



lead the world today with the best sheep in existence. Much of the 

 great advance and wonderful achievement of the fold in France is owing 



