July 9, 1917 Family Performance a Basis for Selection in Sheep 95 



Table I. — Grading of families frovi which breeding rams are to be selected « 



o The number in parenthesis under ratio indicates weight factor by which the grade is multiplied to 

 give product in columns i to 12. 



Table I shows how families are graded. In this case the first family 

 in order of excellence is No. 12, in which the ram is No. 32. Table II 

 shows that this ram is one of the first two in order of individual excel- 

 lence. It was accordingly selected as our best sire. The second-best 

 family is No. 7. The ram in this family stands seventh in order of 

 excellence; it was our second choice. The third-best family is No. 4; 

 the ram in this family ranks as the third-best individual; it was chosen as 

 our third-best ram, and so on. The poorest family is No. 10, and the 

 ram from that family is the poorest individual. Ram 64 (family 5) 

 shared first rank with ram 32, but it was not used, despite its very heavy 

 fleece and fine fiber, because the family record for weight of fleece was 

 not cxtragood, and conformation is very poor. 



