FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 161 



is nothing specially defective in the shape ? Are there 

 not little shapeless breeds of mountain sheep in Wales 

 whose mutton outsells that of the South Down ? Are 

 there not little, hardy> round, mountain cattle in Scot- 

 land whose beef is chosen before that of the rectangu- 

 lar Short Horn ? These refinements are very well in 

 'theory and doubtless of some practical value, but they 

 are not, in our markets, essential to the salableness of 

 mutton, which the great body of the American people 

 already prefer to that of the improved English long- 

 wooled breeds, and constantly eat, believing it to be 

 South Down mutton or other of equal quality. 



The only change which is necessary or desirable to 

 make in the form of the Merino, to improve it as a 

 mutton sheep, is the same which it requires to im- 

 prove it as a wool bearing sheep, viz. : to convert the 

 flocks which now deviate from that standard, into 

 low, round, hardy, easily kept sheep. Good lungs^ 

 good health, and good animal vigor will like promote 

 the secretions which produce meat and wool. And 

 in the wool-growing regions generally, I should not 

 even consider it expedient to seek to increase the 

 present size of what may be termed good sized Amer- 

 ican Merinos. 



The wethers may at some future day be turned 

 oft 7 at two years old, under a system of feeding analo- 

 gous to the English, but it is doubtful whether t this 

 will be found most profitable. Prime full blood ewes 

 will probably never be turned off before they are six 

 or seven ; indeed, until their number is enormously 

 increased, they never will be turned off at any age to 

 the butcher. They have twice or three times the 

 longevity of the improved English breeds, in which 



