366 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



Saxony. These were naturally among the finest wooled 

 of Merinos, and in their new home more attention was 

 paid to this quality ; so much attention, in fact, that the 

 sheep themselves lost stamina and hardiness and became 

 very delicate and hard to raise. The wool of these sheep, 

 however, is of extraordinary fineness and beauty. They 

 yield about two to three pounds of washed wool per 

 head. There are not many breeders of pure Saxon sheep 

 in America, although they have been bred to some extent 

 in western Pennsylvania and Virginia. This family is 

 now almost extinct. 



Silesian, or German Merino. This breed was estab- 

 lished in Silesia by an importation of Infantado and 

 Negrette Merinos in 1811, although importations had 

 been made earlier with some success, notably those of 

 Von Vinke in 1768 and 1778. Since that day they have 

 been bred pure, principally on the estate of Ferdinand 

 Fischer of Wirchenblatt. For many years a careful 

 record of each sheep has been kept on this estate. Sile- 

 sian ewes shear eight to eleven pounds of unwashed wool, 

 the rams twelve to sixteen pounds. The wool is two to 

 three inches long, dark on the outside, not gummy, 

 but with a white, clear oil. The ewes weigh 110 to 130 

 pounds and the rams 145 to 155 pounds. There have 

 been many Silesians imported into America. Mr. Win. 

 Chamberlin, of New York, imported 246 head between 

 1851 and 1856. It is probable that at this day most 

 Silesians in America have become merged with one or 

 the other of the larger Merino families. 



Australian Merino. As has been said, the Merino is 

 the leading sheep in Australia, which places Australia at 

 the head of the list of Merino sheep-producing countries. 

 Taken to New South Wales in 1797, the sheep found the 



