66 ■ Wool. 



as Romney Marsh and North Country wools, and there are 

 Oxford and Shropshire wools, variations from the typical Down 

 class. But in such a short article as this a bold outline sketch 

 only is possible, hence no lengthj' reference to the intermediate 

 classes will be made, but the farmer may very easily draw his 

 own inferences and conclusions. 



The Influence of Breed and Environment. — Sheep are now 

 so varied in breed characteristics, and each typical breed is so 

 stable that the fact of breed influence does not need proving ; 

 it is self-evident. On the other hand the influence of environ- 

 ment is much more difficult to realise. It seems probable that 

 the wonderful wool producing possibilities of the Australian 

 continent were first suggested by the direct effects of climate, 

 food, &c., on certain rough-woolled East Indian sheep taken 

 over to Sydney by the early settlers, towards the end of the 

 eighteenth century. Another example of the direct action 

 of environment is the production of the Lincoln sheep and 

 wool in certain rich pasturage districts of Yorkshire and 

 Lincolnshire ; both sheep and wool being said to deteriorate 

 in other districts but comparatively few miles away. No 

 doubt the recognised breeds of sheep are the result of a 

 combination of these two dominant factors " breed " and 

 " environment." But before further illustrating this point 

 more definite reference must be made to each. 



The present-day breeds of sheep have been originated by — 



(1) The selection of favourable variations — mutations as 

 they are termed ; these, so far as is at present known, follow- 

 ing no recognised laws ; and 



(2) The re-combination of certain qualities appertaining to 

 two or more distinct breeds in a new individual. 



Given variations and breeds of sheep may be improved by 

 either weeding out undesirable individuals or by breeding 

 from those showing the most favourable variations. So far 

 as ewes are concerned the first method is obviously most 

 applicable, for the breeder will wish to breed from as many 

 ewes as possible, and consequently the most that he can be 

 expected to do is to weed out undesirable individuals. A good 

 example of this occurs in the case of the black sheep, which 

 are continually thrown in the case of Wensleydale and some 

 other breeds. These black individuals are invariably killed off 

 the first year and are never bred from unless for sjDecial 

 purposes, as, for example, in the case of a special black flock in 

 Australia. "With the male sheep the conditions are far other- 

 wise, for as one ram will serve many ewes a smaller and more 

 perfect selection may be made without much trouble or expense. 



Although many sheep farmers are of the opposite opinion, 

 it seems probable from the scientific explanation of the factors 



I 



