CHAPTER XIX. 

 THE MERINO OR FINE-WOOL TYPE. 



All sheep are wool bearing, but the Merino excels in weight 

 and fineness of fleece. The Merino is the foundation of American 

 sheep husbandry. It is the most important sheep in America 

 today, though less so than formerly. By far the greater num- 

 ber of grade flocks, especially in one section centering in Ohio, 

 and another comprising the territory west of the Missouri River, 

 are of fine- wool origin. Of the 50,000,000 sheep in the United 

 States, over 27,000,000 are in the Western Division, and these 

 are largely of Merino breeding. Many western sheep are 

 brought into the cornbelt for fattening. 



The Merino is native to Spain, and from the Spanish Merino 

 have come all present breeds of Merino sheep. This stock 

 existed in Spain prior to the Christian era, but in all its history 

 in Spain there is practically no record of attempts at improve>- 

 ment. In the eighteenth century, Spanish Merinos were taken 

 to Saxony, France, United States, South Africa, Australia, and 

 other countries in which distinct types and breeds have been 

 developed by selection from the old Spanish stock. Over 20,000 

 Merino sheep were imported into the United States prior to 

 1811, and these formed the foundation of the breed known as 

 the American Merino. Beginning in 1840, importations of the 

 French Merino or Rambouillet were made to America, and this 

 breed is now bred extensively to supply rams for western flocks. 



The American Merino is the outcome of efforts to develop 

 a sheep with a fleece of the greatest possible value. Some 

 breeders carried their efforts so far as to ignore the meat-produc- 

 ing qualities of the animals they bred, centering practically all 

 their attention on the fleece. At best, the improvement of any 

 kind of live stock is a difficult and slow undertaking. When 

 improvement is sought in one or a few respects, the desired 

 results are secured more readily and in greater perfection than 

 when an attempt is made to improve the animal in a rather 

 large number of ways. It is still more difficult to improve a 

 breed of live stock along two or more opposing or antagonistic 

 lines, such as beef and milk, mutton and wool, strength and speed, 

 or size and quality. It was for this reason that many breeders 



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