BREEDING SHEEP. 615 



lish varieties. Grade Merino wethers (say half bloods) are the favor- 

 ites with the northern drovers and butchers. They are of good size, 

 of extraordinary weight in proportion to their bulk, on account <A 

 the shortness of their wool, as compared with coarse-breeds; make 

 good mutton and tallow; while their pelts from the greater weight 

 of wool on them command an extra price. 



Crossing of Merinos with Southdowns and Leices- 

 ters The value of the Merino the breed to which the American 

 wool-grower has to look for his most profitable sheep for crossing 

 with the native stock has been alluded to. Experiments have alse 

 been made in crossing with the Southdowns and Leicesters, with the 

 result in the former case, that the Southdown disposition to take on 

 mutton manifested itself, even to the third generation, which is seven- 

 eighths Merino and one-eighth Southdown. The fleeces are lighter 

 than the Merino, but increase in weight with each cross backward 

 to the Merino blood. The mutton is of delicious flavor and retains 

 some of the superiority of the Southdown mutton. The cross with 

 the Leicester is not so profitable, but the wool produced is shorter, 

 finer and more compact than that of the Leicester and the sheep 

 showy and profitable, being well calculated to please most farmers. 

 These are experiments and are not offered as a guide. The farmer 

 will do better to cross the common sheep with either of these breeds, 

 according as he may desire to produce mutton or wool. 



How Sheep are to be Bred Up The breeder should first 

 decide whether it will pay him better to raise sheep principally for 

 wool or for mutton. The resources of his farm, the cost of feeding 

 and the prominent advantages of the most available market, indicat- 

 ing in which direction the greater profit may be sought, will enable 

 him to settle that point. Then if he elects to choose wool -f arming, 

 he should select good grade or common ewes and breed from the 

 purest Merino ram from which he can get service. Then by a care- 

 ful system of in-breeding he can steadily perfect his flock to the 

 best standard, reserving for breeding purposes those sheep which 

 show the highest points and disposing of the others. The breeder 

 must give attention to detail and work with a definite object. He 

 should mate so as to supply the defective points in one animal by 

 prominent excellence in that particular point in the one of opposite 

 sex, The results in these respects will amply justify the wisdom of 

 careful selection. If the ram is long-legged, a short-legged ewe 

 should be selected for him. If his wool is gummy, a dry-wooled 

 ewe should be mated with him. If the fleece is a trifle below the 

 proper standard of fineness, but the ram has been recommended for 

 weight of fleece and general excellence, then he should be put upon 

 the finest and lightest fleeced ewes. Having a selection of rams, 

 this system of counter-balancing would require no great skill, if 

 each parent possessed one point. Then by in-and-in breeding, 

 rendered free from objection by the system recommended in the 

 general article on breeaing, he can select the best results of his work 



