FOR SHOW RING AND MARKET. 65 



any kind unless you have some idea of what it is to man- 

 age such stock. Of course there is nothing to bar you 

 from ultimately handling even the most valuable and costly 

 flocks with every success when you have made the business 

 a study. There is nothing so far as the writer is aware to 

 hinder any one from being an accomplished shepherd if he 

 is willing to devote his time faithfully to the study of both 

 the theoretical and practical part of sheep husbandry. 



The Fleece of Breeding Stock. 



The quality of the fleece of the mutton breeds of sheep, 

 although of a secondary consideration as compared with 

 the case of the fine wool breeds, must not be entirely lost 

 sight of, for no matter how perfect and symmetrical the 

 general conformation of the body may be the absence of 

 a tolerably fine quality of fleece, and covering, relegates 

 the animal to a second class place. Although among the 

 Down breeds, the animal carrying a somewhat coarse fleece 

 usually carries a fleece of longer staple than the one carrying 

 the fine fleece, and is often the heaviest shearer, a fine com- 

 pact fleece is usually preferred, and the sheep carrying the 

 same is usually considered the most valuable property. 



As in the case of show sheep, the fleeces of stock sheep, 

 both rams and ewes, should be carefully and critically ex- 

 amined and any showing serious defects, such as black 

 spots, kemp, or coarse wool along the breech should be 

 immediately discarded as breeders, as bad points and de- 

 fects will most assuredly be transmitted to the offspring with 

 far more readiness than will the good ones; therefore too 



