310 



SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Vermont Begister for 1892 gives 17 rams, three years old aud 

 over, whose fleeces exceeded 30 pounds each. These, as will appear 

 from the accompanying table, were not all Vermont-bred sheep, but de- 

 scended from Vermont stock. 



Among the fleeces from rams two years old was one shorn at the annual 

 shearing of the Vermont Sheep Shearing Association, from a ram bred 

 by Byron Smith, of Addison, Vt., that sheared 44 pounds 3 ounces, this 

 being 7 pounds 14 ounces heavier than any recorded in the Vermont 

 Eegister, and, as far as authentically reported, the heaviest fleece taken 

 from a ram two years old. Among the ewe fleeces recorded was one from 

 an ewe bred by H. G. Burwen & Son, of Bridport, Vt., now owned by 

 E. D. King, of Burlington, Kans., that sheared 32 pounds 8 ounces, 

 being 4 pounds 4 ounces heavier than any ewe's fleece heretofore re- 

 corded, and the heaviest ewe's fleece yet reported. 



The improvement in the per cent of wool to live weight since the 

 introduction of the Merino into Vermont is wonderful. In 1812 the 

 best rams produced but about 6 per cent; down to 1844 it had increased 

 to 15 per cent, and in 18G5 to 21 per cent. From this date the increase 

 was rapid to 22, 24, 30, and even 36 per cent. There were forwarded 

 from Vermont to the Paris Exposition in 1878 67 fleeces selected for 

 fine style and quality of wool, as well as weight of fleece. The per 

 cent of wool to live weight for the whole number was 22; of the best 

 30, 25.2; of the best 6, 30.1; of the best 1, 36.6. Twenty-one of the 

 67 were rams, 46 were ewes. At a public sheep -shearing at Middle- 

 bury in April, 1882, 11 stock rams averaged 23 per cent; 14 two-year 

 old rams, 23.4; 10 one-year old rams, 20.3; 7 two-year old ewes, 25.6; 

 12 one-year old ewes, 26.3. The whole 54 averaged 23.3. The gain is 

 not as good in whole flocks, but the proportion of wool has been nearly 

 or quite trebled. 



At the annual State shearing of Vermont for 1885 there was a slight 

 retrogression, which is thus alluded to by Mr. Albert Chapman: "It 

 will be remarked that there is a falling off in the weights attained by 

 rams and ewes one year old, a very good indication that our breeders 



