84 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



some special purpose, and it must be remembered 

 that as the cross-bred progeny should go to market 

 the process of cross-breeding is a suicidal one. 



There are occasions, however, when cross-breeding 

 on the farm is desirable. One may buy western 

 ewes and ship them home. These are destined for 

 lamb-growing exclusively and no attempt will be 

 made to maintain the flock. These ewes then may be 

 mated with a ram suitable to the market and the 

 time of year aimed at. If for hothouse lamb trade 

 a Southdown, Tunis, Hampshire, Shropshire or Dor- 

 set should be used. If to lamb later and grow the 

 lambs mainly on grass the Tunis and Dorset may 

 be_ eliminated and the Cheviot and Oxford added to 

 the list from which rams may be drawn. Or if the 

 lambs are to come late and be fed the next winter 

 one of the long-wools may be chosen. Or, if the flock 

 happens to be placed in one of those rare regions 

 like the hills of Ohio where sheep are yet grown 

 largely for their fleece, the Delaine or Kambouillet, 

 or Spanish Merino ram may be used. 



There are regions, however, where cross-breeding 

 is imperatively demanded. That is in the early lamb 

 breeding regions of the Virginias, Tennessee and 

 Kentucky. Here are found types of native mountain 

 sheep of a peculiar character. They may be said to 

 be true "American" sheep, descendants of the ear- 

 lier importations. The unmixed native mountain 

 sheep is leggy, thin in neck, light in fleece, having 

 somewhat of an open fleece as though coming from 

 an open-wooled breed, and very often the ewes have 



