FITTING SHEEP FOR SHOW. 207 



be in evidence before one can win. The principal points to 

 be looked for in the form of a ram are: a thick, short neck; 

 a wide, deep body; short legs; straight, broad back; thick, 

 fleshy loin; and a well muscled leg of mutton. The same 

 general form will suffice for ewes; however, a feminine ap- 

 pearance must also be in evidence, as indicated, especially 

 by a refined head and rather long and thinner neck than is 

 usually seen in a ram. Just what constitutes a good leg of 

 mutton is something which many fail to grasp. Although a 

 sheep is not split up behind, this does not indicate that the 

 animal has a perfect leg of mutton. A well formed twist 

 or leg of mutton should not only be filled inside, but also out- 

 side, so that it will appear round and plump from every 

 aspect. A sheep with well muscled legs will not only be 

 better for the butcher's purpose, but will also be less liable 

 to break down in the pasterns, something which is especially 

 worthy of attention in breeding rams. Points that generally 

 receive too little attention are the shoulders and spring of 

 fore ribs. Too often one finds animals in the show ring that 

 are poor in the crops and cut up in the flank. Animals 

 deficient in the last mentioned points are usually poor doers, 

 thus should never be selected with the belief that they will 

 improve faster in the deficient point than in those that are 

 more nearly perfect. 



The fleece should always be carefully examined, and if 

 any black spots be found in the wool on the body of the 

 animal it should be rejected. A short, dense fleece is usually 

 more preferable in the Down breeds than a long, coarse, open 

 one. 



The show skin, and in fact the skin of all sheep in a 

 healthy condition, should be of a rich, brilliant, pink color. 

 A pale colored skin is generally associated with a delicate 

 constitution, disease, and animals that are either in a de- 

 pleted or overdone condition; thus one should pay attention 

 to this point, although it seems of minor importance while 

 selecting. 



The quality of the flesh an animal possesses is also worthy 

 of close attention, especially in selecting sheep over a year 

 old. If a sheep is well muscled or fleshed over all parts 

 with fairly firm flesh, it will usually take kindly to feed and 

 make satisfactory gains. Never buy animals that have been 

 already fitted and are stale in their flesh, because they can- 

 not, as a rule, be fitted again satisfactorily. It is always 



