INCREASE OF SIZE AND FLEECE. 



95 



country. Since then these separate families, their crosses, and those 

 between them and other pure flocks, have been greatly improved. 

 The carcass has become larger and heavier, and the fleece has 

 been increased in weight. This is shown by the following table, 

 taken from a more extensive one published about 70 years ago by 

 Petri, who visited Spain for the express purpose of examining the 

 Spanish sheep, and from some measurements made by the Hon. 

 H. S. Randall, of Cortland, K Y., and published in his valuable 

 work on " Fine Wool Sheep Husbandry," as well as from number- 

 less well authenticated weights of fleeces. The table is as follows : 



NAMES OF FLOCKS. 



Negretti Ram 



" Ewe 



Infantaclo Ram 



" Ewe 



Guadeloupe Ram 



" Ewe 



Estantes of Sierra de Somo Ram. 

 H tt tt K u Ewe. 

 Small Estantes Ram. . . 



Ewe 



American Merino Ram 



Ewe 



Ewe... 



" " Ewe... 



Ibs. 



97 



67 

 100^ 



70 



97V 



69 



42 

 30 

 122 

 114 

 122 

 100 



8 8 



in. 



These differences, it will be observed, occur in those respects 

 which add greatly to the value of the animal, the heavier weights 

 of carcass, the shorter neck, the shorter legs, and the very greatly 

 increased width of loin. All these points of improvement tend to 

 show an animal of excellent physical vigor and constitution. 



As to the fleece : in 1800 to 1813, the imported Merinos yielded 

 3 to 4 Ibs. of brook-washed wool, in the ewe, and 6 to 7 Ibs. in the 

 ram. The heaviest fleeced ram imported, that of Mr. Dupont, 

 produced 8 Ibs. of brook- washed wool. In 1845 the product had 

 increased to 5 Ibs. for some small flocks, and 9 Ibs. for rams. Mr. 

 Stephen Atwood, of Vermont, reported in this year that his heavi- 

 est ewe's fleece was 6 Ibs. 6 oz., and his heaviest ram's fleece, 12 

 Ibs. 4 oz. In 1849, a ram, belonging to Mr. Randall, produced 13 

 Ibs. 3 oz. of well washed wool. Up to this period the Merinos 

 had been under a heavy cloud, and improvement had not occurred 

 so rapidly as it has done since then. The weights of the fleeces of 



