JUDGING LIVE STOCK. 167 



improvement in fleshing qualities was sought after by Bake- 

 well and his followers, the character of the fleece was at the 

 same time much improved, due to careful methods of selec- 

 tion, feeding and management, so that the mutton sheep is 

 valuable not only for its carcass but also for its fleece. 



We have, then, for our first classification, sheep divided 

 into mutton breeds and wool breeds. 



A mutton class may be defined as one which possesses a 

 large amount of flesh on the back, rib, loin, and hindquarters, 

 with a good fleece as a secondary consideration, while a wool 

 class is one which will shear a heavy fleece of fine, long, 

 strong, lustrous, crimpy wool, with flesh as a secondary con- 

 sideration. 



Since wool has depreciated so much in value, and mutton, 

 on the other hand, has a steady demand at a fair price, it is 

 well that we should learn something of the possibilities of 

 the mutton sheep. Careful investigations at the Iowa Ex- 

 periment Station with representatives of seven mutton breeds 

 showed that a pound of gain in live weight was made from 

 714 pounds of feed (dry matter). This increase in live weight 

 was made at a cost of 2.88 cents per pound. 



Comparing the relative cost of making mutton and beef, 

 it was found that while the lambs required 7.25 pounds dry 

 matter, steers required 8.9 pounds to produce one pound gain. 



The breeds belonging to the mutton class are as follows: 

 Southdowns, Shropshires, Oxford Downs, Dorsets, Suffolks, 

 Hampshires, Leicesters, Lincolns, Cotswolds, Cheviots, 

 Wensleydales, Blackfaced Highlands; all of which produce 

 fleeces varying in quantity, length, and fineness. 



The wool class comprises the Merino and his many off- 

 shoots, such as the Rambouillet, Delaine Merino. American 

 Merino, Black Top Merino, etc. 



The mutton breeds may be divided again into Lowland, 

 Down, and Mountain breeds. To the Lowland class belong 

 the Leicesters, Lincolns, and Cotswolds; to the Downs belong 

 the Southdowns, Dorsets, Shropshires, Oxfords, Suffolks, and 

 Hampshires. While the Cheviots and Blackfaces occupy the 

 higher scantier pastures of the hills. 



Sheep may be divided again according to the character 

 of the wool into fine, middle, and coarse wooled classes. 



To the fine wools belong the Merinos American, Delaine, 

 and Rambouillet. 



