1036 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



XXIII. The Sheep in Australia.* 



Spain rendered a great service to the world in preserving the purity of 

 the ancient 'blood in sheep. It remained for other countries to improve 

 the stock by means of the modern art of breeding. While some of the early 

 Australian breeders gave attention to improvement by selection ; stocking 

 up the "runs" was in general the first consideration and when at length the 

 time for considering the quality of the sheep arrived, the flocks presented 

 wide opportunities for improvement. The wool wtus fine; but the fleece 

 \yi\s small and the staple short. The frame was small, and the ill-shaped 

 body bore wool only on the back, while there was much to be desired in the 

 way of evenness of quality throughout the fleece. What had to be accom- 

 plished in order to produce the Australian merino of to-day is shown by 



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T3.'PE OF SPANISH MERINO EWE IMPORTED TO AUSTRALIA IN 1828. 



the representation of a merino of the time from the Royal Spanish flocks. 

 Not content with securing the best breed of sheep in the world, the Austra- 

 lian breeder set about bringing it to the highest point of perfection. The 

 wool must not only be fine, but it must also be long, and of brilliant white- 

 ness, and it must cover the entire surface of the animal, the legs, head and 

 under-parts all taking part in producing the wool crop. The tip of the 

 nose and the hoofs are the only parts that do not bear wool, as may be seen 

 by the illustration of a typical Australian merino. There had to be an 

 enlargem.ent of the body, and the area of wool-bearing skin was farther 

 extended by a skillful arrangement of folds and pleats. This enlarged 

 area was also subjected to a kind of intensive cultivation. Two piles of 

 wool had to be made to grow where only one grew before; the crop had to 

 grow thicker on the ground, ''density" being carried to its extreme limit. 



• For this article on "The Sheep In Australia" we are Indebted to the December l^sue of the 

 admirable magazine "LIFE" issued monthly at Melbourne, Australia, for which courtesy on the 

 part of Its publishers due acknowledgment 1« here mnde. 



