246 MERINOS. 



Forward 25 



Shoulder massive as to depth and breadth $ 



Back level, straight Ribs, rotund 5 



Hips broad and long 5 



Fore legs straight, well set apart 3 



Hind legs straight and set so as to give a perpendicular appearance to hind 



parts 5 



Ear soft, thick and velvety 2 



Color of nose, ears and hoofs pure white 5 



Wrinkles on neck heavy, pendulous 5 



Wrinkles across arm and point of shoulder on side and running well under . 5 



Tail, hip folds and flank 5 



Density of fleece on neck 3 



" ' back ;.. ....... 3 



Density of fleece on side 3 



" " " hip and extending to flank 3 



belly ... . 3 



( Crown of head or cap 3 



Cheek --:, 2 



Fore leg 2 



Arm-pits 2 



Covering. { Hind leg 2 



Inside of flank 3 



Connection between tag wool and belly i 



Fibre to indicate, as 'fine,' 'medium' and 'coarse.' 

 Oil, as ' buff ' and ' white.' 



Perfection 100" 



The illustration represents the ram "Prince Bismarck," a famous 

 prize winner of the Paular family, that was never beaten in the show 

 ring. In full fleece he weighed 200 Ibs. , and yielded a fleece, of one 

 year's growth, of 35 Ibs. 9% ozs. 



The Dickinsons. 



Concerning the origin of this strain of Merino blood, we may say: 

 Mr. Thos. Rotch purchased from Col. Humphreys (Derby, Connecti- 

 cut) some of the latter's pure-bred Spanish Merinos, imported in 1802, 

 and took them to Stark county, Ohio, about the year 1810. W. R. 

 Dickinson from whom the family takes its name lived at Steuben- 

 ville, Ohio, but had large landed possessions in Stark county, and soon 

 secured the entire flock of pure-bred Merinos as his own. The sheep 

 were bred with scrupulous care as to purity of blood, and under Mr. 

 Dickinson's skillful management soon reached a high state of improve- 

 ment. After the death of Mr. Dickinson (1831), Adam Heldenbrand 

 became the owner of all the pure-bred Humphreys sheep which Mr. 

 Dickinson had bred, and from him was secured the nucleus which 

 formed the flock of James McDowell. 



As we shall mention under the next topic an apparent conflict of 

 statements between breeders of Dickinson and Black-Tops, it may be 

 well to make the following extract from a published letter, written by 



