252 MERINOS. 



parallel with each other, and spun at full length in the yarn. To Mr. 

 E. R. Mudge, of Boston, Mass. now deceased belongs most of the 

 credit for founding this branch of textile industry, and to the breeders 

 who aimed to supply the demand thus created we turn to find the origin 

 of the Delaine Merino Sheep. It is claimed that no deep in-breeding has 

 been practiced, and that the sheep are, therefore, free from all taint of 

 weakness so frequently traced to incestuous breeding. On the other 

 hand it is stated, that nothing but the purest Merino blood has ever 

 been introduced, and to explain the seeming contradiction, we may say 

 in brief, that the Delaine Merino has been produced by a careful system 

 of crossing the pure Spanish with the American Black-Top Merino. 

 The original Spanish foundation for the Delaines was largely made up 

 of sheep descended from an importation made in 1820, by Richard W. 

 Meade at that time Minister to Spain. These sheep were first sta- 

 tioned near Philadelphia, but were afterwards sent to Washington 

 county, Pa., where their choicest descendants have since been bred. 



DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



The fleece presents a uniformly smooth surface, dark on the outer 

 end of wool, but a "black-top" caused by excess or sticky character of 

 yolk, and consequent clogging up with dirt to form an outer crust is 

 considered a great objection. The natural oil or yolk should be freely 

 liquid, not gummy, showing an even white color and rising to the top 

 of the dense, fine covering. The staple ( fiber ) is of good length, 

 averaging from two and a-half to three inches in wool of one year's 

 growth, covering the body and legs to the knees. The animal is of 

 good size, mature rams weighing about 150 pounds, and ewes about 100 

 pounds with a vigorous constitution and a carcass for mutton which, 

 in a fine wool sheep, is surprising. To illustrate their mutton capacity, 

 we clip the following from the issue of April, 1884, National Stockman, 

 published at East Liberty, Pa. : 



"Among the sheep sold here this week, there was a car-load of fine wool wethers, 

 something under three years old, averaging 114^ pounds. They were of the Delaine 

 Merino family, were raised and fed by James McClelland, of Canonsburg, Pa., and 

 brought seven cents per pound, a price which shows that they found high favor among 

 the butchers.' 



The following Scale of Points, condensed from the National Delaine 

 Merino Register, has been, adopted by the association, and is now in use 

 by its members : 



Constitution 10 Forward 27 



Heavy round heart 6 Back 8 



Neck 6 Ribs 5 



Dewlap 5 Legs 6 



Forward 27 Forward 46 



