SHEEP 411 



The Delaine and the Rambouillet, which in reality are off- 

 shoots of the early Spanish type of Merino, have inherited the 

 same characteristic. 



The Merino was first brought into the United States probably 

 about 1792. At present it is raised more extensively on the 

 sheep farms and ranges of the West than in the East. It is 

 the smallest of the fine-wool breeds and furnishes the finest 

 and heaviest fleece of any of the breeds. The fleece of the 

 Merino completely covers the body and legs, and the wool is of 

 good length and fine, with an excellent crimp and an abundance 

 of yolk. The head is small, the nostrils and lips white. The 

 wool grows below the eyes well down. on the nose, and the 

 muzzle and nose are covered with fine white wool. The skin 

 should be a bright pink and cover the body in folds, or wrinkles, 

 thus giving more surface for the production of wool. The rams 

 have horns, and the ewes are hornless. 



542. The Delaine Merino. The Delaine Merino has been 

 developed in the United States from the American or Spanish 

 Merino, in order to secure a better mutton sheep. This sheep 

 is larger than the American Merino, has a smoother, fuller 

 body, and has fewer folds, or wrinkles, of the skin. The wool 

 is longer the staple being about three inches in length and 

 the weight of the fleece is less. The color is the same as the 

 American Merino, and the wool covers the face and legs in 

 the same way. 



543. The Rambouillet. The Rambouillet originated in France 

 from Spanish Merino stock to meet the demand for a fine-wool 

 sheep that would produce more mutton. It was introduced into 

 the United States in 1840, and has since become popular, espe- 

 cially on the Western ranges. This sheep does not differ essen- 

 tially from the Delaine, except that it is larger, has fewer folds, 

 and produces a better mutton carcass. 



544. Middle- wool breeds. The most important breeds of 

 sheep, usually classed as middle-wool, are the Southdown, the 

 Shropshire, the Hampshire Down, the Oxford Down, and the 

 Dorset. All these breeds were developed in England. 



