[1321 



spring with any degree of certainty, and to any extent the 

 characteristic merits of either of their pure- bred ancestors. 

 To pursue a course of this kind, however, in breeding, for 

 a long series of years, would ultimately result in anew breed 

 of sheep of fixed type, and with the power of reproducing 

 their likeness and quality in their offspring; but to estab- 

 lish a new breed with this power would almost require the 

 work of a lifetime, unremitting skill, attention and patience, 

 and with a well defined object constantly in view. To skill 

 of this kind, and to the patient perseverance of breeders 

 years ago, are we indebted for the excellent varieties of the 

 present day, and in order to keep each of them up to the 

 highest standard of excellence, it is absolutely necessary to 

 keep them pure and free from other crosses. 



GRADES. 



While we doubt if there are any cross-bred sheep as good 

 as either of the thoroughbreds from which they come, there 

 can be no doubt as to the increased value of a .flock result- 

 ing from a thoroughbred ram of any of the different estab- 

 lished varieties crossed upon the common scrub ewes of the 

 country. 



Sheep bred in this way are called grades, and so marked 

 and rapid is the improvement of the flock by using nothing 

 but a thoroughbred ram on these grade ewes, that it is diffi- 

 cult to tell the grades from the thoroughbreds after they are 

 two or three removes from the scrub. This rapid improve- 

 ment in the flock is sometimes injurious to the farmer, by 

 tempting him to select a young breeding ram from his flock 

 of handsome grade lambs, expecting him to continue the 

 improvement of the flock already begun by his thorough- 

 bred sire, but the result of such breeding will in every in- 

 stance prove a disappointment; a grade ram should never 

 be used for breeding purposes, for under no circumstances 

 can he increase the value of the flock, and his offspring will 

 invariably deteriorate. Even if bred to thoroughbred ewes, 



