THE BREEDS OF SHEEP 77 



gradually developed special features. In this way families 

 of Merinos were established. For a great many years all 

 sheep that had heavy folds over the body were known as 

 Spanish Merinos. Later the people came to refer to sheep 

 of this class that had been produced in America, as American 

 Merinos. In time, a larger sheep, with few folds or none, 

 developed, that produced a longer and somewhat coarser 

 grade of wool especially suited for certain cloth manufacture. 

 These became known as Delaine Merinos. These sheep also 

 produced a good grade of mutton. Among the Delaines are 

 some family branches of interest, though not widely bred, as 

 for example, the Dickinson and the Blacktop. Most of 

 the Delaine improvement of importance took place in western 

 Pennsylvania and in Ohio. 



Some of the most important features of the Merino may 

 be considered here. These sheep produce the finest wool 

 known. It is so fine that over 1000 fibers may be laid side 

 by side within an inch space. The fleece covers the entire 

 body, often coming down over the face to the nostrils, and 

 covering the legs even to the toes. If the sheep has folds 

 or wrinkles over the body, we expect to get the finest and 

 shortest wool. The less folds over the body, as a rule, the 

 larger the sheep and the longer and coarser the fleece. Aver- 

 age Merino wool is about 2J/ inches long. 



On the outside of the fleece we usually find more or less 

 grease or oil, or yolk, as it is called, mixed with dirt, most of 

 which easily washes out, even in cold water. The cloth 

 manufacturer removes this by scouring. Some fleeces in 

 this operation lose 75 per cent of their weight. Wool 

 buyers do not like a very heavy amount of oil, on account 

 of this shrinkage when the wool is scoured. A common 

 weight for a fleece is eight or ten pounds, but some have 

 weighed over 40 pounds when taken from the sheep. Rams 



