<M 



SHELBY. 



tb original Spanish. These may be classed under 

 three beads. The first is a large, short-1 

 strong, and exceedingly hardy sheep, with heavy 

 fleece, ranging in quality from medium to flue, free 

 from hair in well-bred flocks, the wool being longish 

 on both back and belly, and exceedingly dense. 

 The yield of fleece is heavy, averaging from 8 to 12 

 ]l>s. 'The second is a smaller and less hardy variety, 

 the wool usually finer, and covered on its extremi- 

 .h a bhc'k, ]>itchy gnm. The fleece is about 

 one-fourth lighter than "that of the above. The third 

 variety is still smaller and less hardy, with lighter 

 but finer fleeces, which are free from gum. It 

 closely resembles in form and wool the Saxon Me- 

 rino, "and may have some Saxon blood. The first 

 variety is a larger and stronger sheep than the orig- 

 inal importation from Spain, and in well-selected 

 flocks yields much heavier fleeces and of much bet- 

 ter quality than those obtained in Spain. The 

 Merino, though native to a warm climate, becomes 

 readily acclimated to cold regions, and flourishes as 

 far north as Sweden without degeneration. It is 

 patient and docile, and of great longevity, retaining 

 its teeth and breeding 2 or 3 years longer than the 

 common sheep, and at least 6 years longer than the 

 improved English breeds. 



SVhat ore known as the Saxon Merinos originated 

 from a flock of 200 Spanish sheep imported to Sax- 

 ony in 1765. They were bred with great care, and 

 improved over the original in quality of wool, 

 though hardiness and other important qualities havo 

 been sacrificed by the German shepherds in their 

 too exclusive attention to wool product. There are 

 two distinct breeds of the Saxon, one with shorter 

 legs and stouter body than the other. The first 

 Saxons were imported to America in 1824, with the 

 exception of a small flock of 6 or 7 brought earlier. 

 Many were brought later. These have been mixed 

 with natives and Spanish Merinos, to the advantage 

 of their hardiness. The American Saxons yield a 

 fleece of 2 to 3 Ibs. They are comparatively tender, 

 need regular and good food, and good shelter. They 

 resemble the Merinos in docility, longevity, and 

 lateness of maturity, and yield a fleece not so fine as 

 that of ftixony, but usually much finer than that of 

 the American Merino. 



Of the English breeds the Leicester was intro- 

 duced into the United States about 1825. Its mut- 

 ton has deteriorated in quality from that of England, 

 being too fat, and the fat and lean too little mingled, 

 for the American taste. Its wool is not in much de- 

 mand here, from the dearth of worsted manufacturers 

 in America. It is comparatively short-lived and, 

 being a lowland sheep, does not stand our winters so 

 well as the Sonthdown, which is of upland origin, 

 and is quite hardy and healthy. Like the Leicester, 

 it is short-lived. Of the broad-tailed sheep then- 

 are some of pure blood within the United States, 

 but they are as yet of no industrial importance. 



The celebrated Improved Kentucky breed was 

 formed by a general crossing of the Native, Merino, 

 ami the English breeds, but is considered one of the 

 most permanent of American breeds, propagating 

 with the certainty of the average thoroughbred. 

 Crowes between the distinct varieties of Merinos 

 have been highly successful, and the American Me- 

 rino of to-day in the result of a fusion of several 

 Spnnish flocks. The " Victor- Beall Delaine," the 

 " Blacktop," and the "Improved Saxony," all ex- 

 cellent American breeds, are the result of crosses 

 between Spanish and Saxon Merinos. Similar 

 crosses of American with French Merinos have not 

 resulted advantageously in the eastern States, but 

 have proved successful in California. In Oregon 

 and California the American and Australian sheep 

 have been bred together, with very satisfactory re- 

 sults. It is said that the cross between a Merino 



ram and a Southdown ewe, and rice rena, yields the 

 b.-st mutton known, with the exception of the little 

 Welsh miiuntiiin sheep. It is claimed to be supe- 

 rior to pun- Southdown mutton. 



In the far West the question of food-supply for 

 sheep is a very important one. Those vast regions 

 are widely adapted to pastoral pursuits, and seem 

 destined to become the future home of the American 

 Merino, but some system of shelter and art ilirial pro- 

 \ i.sion of food is necessary to guard the flock against 

 the occasional heavy snows. The prairie hay is 

 generally excellent, and the grass known as alfalfa 

 has proved well suited to sheep pasture in Califor- 

 nia. The Bermuda grass, so common and dreaded 

 by the cotton planters of the South, has been found 

 to succeed well in the alkaline soil of the West, and 

 is admirable for sheep. Festuca, a large genus of 

 grasses, follows sheep and cattle everywhere ; F. 

 otina, one of the best of sheep grasses, having fol- 

 IOVM the sheep around the world. There are sev- 

 eral species of the bunch grass of the western plains 

 which are also excellent, and by a system of gather- 

 ing sufficient of these grasses to carry the flocks 

 over the dangerous periods of the winter the sheep 

 industry may be almost indefinitely extended in the 

 West. Sheep are excellent scavengers, and thrive 

 where most other animals would starve. They bite 

 the grass much closer than the other domestic ani- 

 mals, and are fond of plants which the latter will 

 not eat. They soon clear fields of weeds, briers, 

 and bushes, and by their droppings, which have ex- 

 cellent fertilizing properties, they aid greatly in pre- 

 paring the land for the plough. Where briers are 

 too thick nnd high they need to be burned ; yet this 

 does not deter the sheep, which crop down all the 

 young shoots which appear on such burned-over 

 ground, with an apparent preference, as if the ashes 

 gave a relish to their food. Their close cropping, 

 imle< d, is fatal to certain species of grass, and in 

 sheep pastures it is necessary to select grasses which 

 will bear this. (See FOBAOE CROPS.) 



Sheep are subject to many diseases which inter- 

 fere seriously with their profitable raising. The 

 most troublesome of these is the foot rot. This 

 arises from the suppression of the peculiar glandu- 

 lar secretion which exudes between the toes of the 

 sheep. Moist ground promotes this suppression, 

 which is followed by dangerous inflammation. They 

 suffer also from insects, and ]>articularly from a bot- 

 fly, whose larva is introduced into their lips and nos- 

 trils, and makes its way inward to vital regions. There 

 are other parasites and diseases which add greatly 

 to the cares and risks of the shepherd. 



The number of sheep in the United States in 

 1880 was 42,192,074, of which 35,192,074 were on 

 farms, and 7,000,000 estimated on ranches and 

 ranges. In 1888 the number was 43,544,755. The 

 wool clip of the former-named year was 240,681,751 

 Ibs., of which the principal quantity came from 

 Ohio, California, and Michigan. The price of sheep 

 advanced steadily from 1879 to 1883, after which a 

 decline set in, the price in 1888 being 82.0"), and the 

 total value of sheep, 889,276,026. Of this value 

 Ohio and California return over 810,000,000 each ; 

 Texas, nearly 87,000,000 ; New York and Michigan, 

 over 85,000, 000; Oregon, nearly 85,000,000 ; and the 

 other States in rapidly diminishing proportions. 



(c. if.) 



SHELBY, ISAAC (1750-1826), soldier, and governor 

 of Kentucky, was born near Hagerstown, Md., Dec. 

 11, 1750. His father, Evan Shelby, was of Welsh 

 descent and local prominence. In 1774 Isaac fought 

 in his father's command against the Indians at 

 Point Pleasant, Va. In the Revolutionary war he 

 served as captain, commissary, major, and finally 

 colonel, in Virginia and the Carolina*. His most 

 noted exploit was his gathering a force of hardy 



