74 SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
ing been effected, it would not then be possible to mate the 
dams with sires of some of the other mutton breeds so as to 
improve mutton quality in the lambs. Among the minor 
objects were the following: First—To glean information 
with reference to the foods that could be used with the great- 
est advantage in feedit g ewes and lambs under Minnesota 
conditions. And S:cond—To glean information with refer- 
ence to marketing the lambs that could be turned to prac- 
tical account. It should be stated here, however, that the 
congested condition of our sheep sheds during the major 
portion of the time, prevented us from carrying out the de- 
tails of the experiment in that regular and exact way that 
would give the results, therefore, should be regarded as only 
close approximations to the trutb. 
Animals Used in the Experiment.—The ewes chosen for 
the experiment came from the flock of Mr. Hugh Paul, Dun- 
dee, Minn., and also from the ranges of Montana. In both 
instances they were simply common grade ewes of very 
mixed breeding. It would be impossible of course to be 
quite sure of all the blood elements in them, and of the pro- 
portions in which they preserved these. But, it would be 
safe to say, that in them was the blood of two or three of 
the dark faced breeds, more particularly the Shropshire and 
Oxford Down, also that of the Cotswolds or Lincolns, and 
of the American Merinos. 
The presence of all these blood elements was not evi- 
denced in each of the ewes individually, but the presence of 
some two or three or even more of them was evidenced in 
the make up of various individual females chosen for the 
work. Merino blood, as witnessed in the fleece, the wool on 
the head and the wrinkles in the skin, was the most pro- 
nouncedly in evidence. But two Dorset rams were used dar- 
ing the experiment. The first, Austin, No. 4554, lambed in 
December, 1893, was used during the first two years of the 
experiment. The second, Paso, No. 6700, lambed in 1896, 
was used during the remainder of the same. Both were good 
specimens of the breed, particularly the last mentioned. 
General Plan of the Experiment.—The following plan 
was followed as closely as the circumstances would permit. 
The first summer the ewes were bred as soon as they would 
