TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 249 



should arch sufficiently and carry down far enough to provide 

 a roomy chest. The fore flank should be reasonably well filled 

 out. Every type of animal needs a robust constitution, one 

 of the best evidences of which is a large heart-girth, proper 

 allowance being made, when judging, for the thickness of fleshing 

 which covers the forequarters. 



The front legs are often very crooked at the knees, too 

 close together, and too long. They should be reasonably straight, 

 moderately wide apart, and fairly short. The feet are often 

 poorly formed and rather weak, whereas they should be well 

 developed and strong. The shanks should be reasonably fine 

 and rather short, and the pasterns should be free from weakness. 



The back and loin vary somewhat according to the ideals 

 of breeders. In the very wrinkly Merinos in which the mutton 

 qualities are ignored, the top is noticeably long and narrow, 

 and this may be carried to an undesirable extreme. In the 

 Delaine Merino and Rambouillet, the back is proportionately 

 shorter and wider. In any case the top should be straight from 

 shoulders to hips, showing a fair degree of width of back and a 

 rather wide, strongly muscled loin. 



The ribs should be fairly well arched and should show 

 good length in order to provide proper feeding, breeding, and 

 chest capacity. The middle is not very compact, but is mod- 

 erately long. 



The hips are somewhat prominent on account of their 

 width and lack of deep fleshing throughout, but ragged hips are 

 undesirable. Much smoothness cannot be expected in a Merino, 

 yet a rather neat, tidy conformation is demanded. 



The rump is often peaked and drooping, but the best form 

 embodies a rump that is long, level, and medium wide. 



The thighs and twist vary with respect to the class of fine- 

 wooled sheep under consideration. Generally speaking, the 

 thigh should be medium thick, and the muscling between the 

 legs should be sufficient to afford at least a moderate development 

 of the twist. 



The hind legs should be straight, medium long, reasonably 

 fine, strong in the pastern, and placed somewhat apart. A 

 large percentage of Merino sheep have crooked hind legs, the 

 hocks being close together and the feet too wide apart, or the 

 hocks much bent so as to place the hind feet too far under the 

 body, instead of carrying straight downward from hock to ground. 

 The feet should be well formed and strong. 



