28 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



is not a qualification worth taking into account. 

 Farmers are equipped with shelter and food for 

 their flocks. 



MERINO SHEEP. 



Probably the oldest races of domesticated sheep 

 are the various families of Merinos. Most they have 

 felt the molding hand of man, most they seem to 

 diverge from any wild type of which we have knowl- 

 edge. Very likely Merinos were kept in Palestine 

 during bible times, and it may be that King David 

 when a lad watched beside a flock of Merinos. Under 

 the hand of man they have suffered a degeneration 

 in form, not being as hardy, as vigorous or full of 

 stamina as any wild race of sheep now in existence. 

 Merinos,, however, have gained two very important 

 and valuable characteristics : ability to subsist on 

 little feed and that of a coarse nature and compara- 

 tive resistance to internal parasites. This latter 

 feature is really one of priceless worth to the farm- 

 er of the cornbelt where the stomach worm ravages 

 ceaselessly. I had good opportunity in the winter 

 of 1910-11 to study this very factor in flocks of sheep 

 of many breeds in Ohio and Michigan, West Vir- 

 ginia, and Tennessee. I was continually amazed to 

 see the fine strung flocks of Delaine, Blacktop and 

 Rambouillet Merinos, heads up, eyes bright, skins 

 as pink as cherries, yet received very indifferent 

 care indeed either in way of pasture, management 

 or feeding. Surrounding these flocks I would find 

 others of the mutton breeds in far less healthy con- 

 dition, showing often very plainly the ravages of 



