PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING 



As in most classifications, however, it is difficult to 

 draw sharp lines, although the three classes just men- 

 tioned are fairly distinct. There is much variation in 

 the sheep of Great Britain, but in all of them, over there, 

 the carcass is the chief consideration. 



"If we include the Merino, another 

 Types of classification divides sheep into three 



fA/i n;/&>*v>?/ main classes, from the standpoint of 

 me different thdr ^^ yiz . long _ wools> repre _ 



Breeds sented by the Lincoln, Cotswold, 



Leicester, etc.; middle or medium- 

 wools, represented by the Shropshire, Southdown, 

 Hampshire, etc., known as down breeds; and fine-wools, 

 to which the different varieties of the Merino belong, such 

 as the Rambouillet, Delaine and American. However, 

 although fairly good mutton may be had from any of the 

 breeds of sheep, the middle wool class is that from which 

 the choicest quality is obtained and, therefore, is known 

 as the mutton type. It includes the various down sheep 

 just mentioned, and the Horned Dorset, Cheviot, etc. 



"The long- wool breeds are also used as mutton sheep, 

 in addition to their wool-production, but their flesh is not 

 considered of such fine quality as an edible product. 



"The fine- wools, such as the Merinos, are not usually 

 looked upon as mutton sheep, although crossing with 

 middle-wool blood produces a better mutton animal than 

 the pure Merino. 



"The down-sheep, proper, are hornless, dark-faced and 

 dark-legged; and the majority have close fine wool, com- 

 paratively short in length, and with fleeces of medium 

 weight. The most important economic feature is the 

 quality of the carcass and the mutton. They do not 

 readily become too fat, even when fed to great weights, 

 and the mutton is of superior quality, being firm, fine in 

 the grain, and rich in color. 



Page Twenty-Two 



