LECTURE XLV. 



CLASSIFICATION OF SHEEP. 



For thousands of years the sheep industry has been one 

 of very great importance to mankind. The chief occupation 

 of the old patriarchs was that of tending their flocks. In 

 early times sheep were kept not for the production of flesh, 

 but for wool and milk, and any improvement sought after 

 tended to increase the fineness and quantity of fleece and 

 also the quantity of milk. Asia was noted for its fine woolen 

 goods two thousand years before the Christian era. Wool 

 was dyed with costly Tyrian purple and made into garments 

 for kings, queens, and other dignitaries. Rome also boasted 

 of her fine woolen goods manufactured from fleeces unexcelled 

 in fineness even at the present day. 



Sheep and lambs were offered as sacrifices in early times 

 and were also, no doubt, used as food, but not until a century 

 and a half ago were any systematic efforts made to improve 

 the fleshing qualities of these animals. To Robert Bakewell 

 of Dishley Hall, Leicestershire, England, is due the credit 

 for the improvement in the mutton breeds of sheep. The 

 improved Leicester of today is the product of his farseeing 

 mind, together with the patience and persistence necessary 

 for the attainment of such a worthy object as that of de- 

 veloping a breed of sheep that would mature early; and when 

 mature, would carry a large amount of valuable flesh with 

 a small percentage of offal. 



Many breeders in both England and Scotland following 

 Bakewell's methods took up the work of improving the sheep 

 that were in their immediate localities, and hence we have 

 the great number of improved mutton breeds of today. 



Canada, too, following the lead of the motherland, gave 

 her attention to the improvement of the mutton breeds of 

 sheep, while the Americans, up to a few decades ago, were 

 devoting their energies to the improvement of the fineness 

 and quantity of the fleece chiefly of the Merino. While 



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