ANIMAL BREEDING. 121 



Board of Agriculture for Scotland and distributed amongst the 

 four breeders who are co-operating in the experiment. The 

 first cross generation of some 400 lambs was born in the spring of 

 1920. As was expected, these showed great variation in their 

 fleece characters, some closely approaching the Southdown, 

 others the Blackface. On the whole, the quality of the fleece 

 was distinctly improved. Most of the ram lambs were sent 

 to the butcher, and his report on the mutton was that it was 

 superior even to pure-bred Blackface mutton ; the carcases were 

 heavier, and the appearance of the meat more attractive. All 

 the ewe lambs, and a few selected ram lambs, have been retained 

 for further breeding. They are being wintered in the hills 

 under the same conditions as ordinary Blackface sheep and will 

 receive no special attention of any sort. Thus the cross is being 

 exposed to the test of natural selection, which will eliminate 

 any individual that is unable to withstand the rigours of the 

 Scottish climate. The lambs will be used for breeding in 1922. 

 Meanwhile the Southdown-Blackface cross is being repeated on 

 the same scale, namely, 10 rams to 50 ewes each. On this occasion 

 greater attention is being paid to the selection of the Blackface 

 ewes, since it is possible that the great variation exhibited by 

 the first lot of cross-bred lambs was to some extent due to varia- 

 tion in the Blackface mothers. The co-operation of leading 

 wool-brokers has therefore been secured, and they will assist 

 in the selection of the ewes. 



Simultaneously an experiment is in progress to see how far 

 it is possible to improve the Blackface wool by selection within 

 the breed. A close study of the breed shows that it exhibits a 

 wide range of wool characters, varying from wool of quite good 

 quality to hair of the lowest marketable value. Some fleeces 

 are quite free from grey hairs, others contain numerous scattered 

 patches of pigment. There thus seems to be considerable room 

 for selection within the breed. A well-known breeder of Black- 

 face sheep has placed the whole of his flock of about 16,000 sheep 

 at the disposal of the Department for experimental purposes 

 with this end in view. With the assistance of wool experts, 

 a Blackface ram of improved wool quality has been purchased 

 and will be mated with selected ewes. Careful selection will 

 be practised with each generation, and it is hoped that ultimately 

 the wool of the whole flock will be graded up, on lines which 

 can be repeated by other breeders. 



The question of the prevalence of black (grey) hairs in the 

 fleece, which limit the choice of dyes, and therefore seriously 

 affect the value of the fleece, is also being studied from another 

 point of view. A careful examination of the fleeces of numerous 



