SHEEP, SWINE, AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 409 



Common breeds, put to a pure bred Merino ram, produce u 

 grade averaging at the lowest calculation one pound heavier 

 fleeces. And if these and their progeny are continually bred 

 to a pure blood Merino, the same increase will continue. In 

 fact no ewe should ever be bred to any but a pure blooded ram, 

 when the services of such a one can be obtained. 



The Cotswold is a large, fine mutton sheep, and will shear 

 from ten to sixteen pounds of wool. The carcass often weighs 

 over two hundred pounds at two years old, and will be worth 

 several cents more per pound than the common breeds. When 

 near a good market the Cotswolds are as profitable as any 

 breed we know. The South Down, for both mutton and fleece, 

 are fully equal to any other breed. They do not shear quite as 

 heavy a fleece, nor market so heavy a carcass as the Cotswolds, 

 but both fleece and carcass are worth more per pound than the 

 Cotswolds. This breed is ready for the butcher at any time 

 from three months to five years old, giving as much weight for 

 their feed as any other. Th< buck can be profitably introduced 

 into any flock where it is not especially desirable to keep up 

 pure blood for breeding purposes. 



The Leicesters are only mutton sheep, but near large 

 markets they can be raised with great profit, as they put on 

 flesh very fast. They shear six to eight pounds of fleece. The 

 introduction- of the Cotswold ram to this breed greatly improves 

 the animal for breeding purposes. 



We will briefly state the points of a good fine woolled sheep. 

 A stout, vigorous body of medium size for the breed ; a thin, 

 loose, elastic skin of a rosy color ; a regular skin, except folds 

 about the neck, (the folds once so much in fashion, all over the 

 body, were of no use, and interfered with the shears) ; fleece 

 of even length and thickness all over the body ; a thick, short- 

 ish coat on the hind legs and over the top of the head, and 

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