326 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



at two years of age, and again at three, will not complete its growth as 

 soon as the ewe that is left without lambing until three years old, but 

 in the end the former will have the best physical development, a longer 

 life, a larger number of lambs to show for it, and a consequent larger 

 profit to its owner. 



The utmost care is exercised in the choice of a ram. Above all, like 

 the ewe, he ought to have a strong, vigorous constitution, with such 

 peculiar or characteristic points as the breeder wishes to reproduce in 

 his offspring. Pedigree is absolutely required, for this means, in the 

 progeny, that uniformity of type not otherwise to be expected, the 

 greater number of ancestors possessing special points of excellence 

 being a strong guaranty that these points will be reproduced and con- 

 tinued. And this fixity of type is what gives value to the long bred or 

 thoroughbred Merino. Their breeding in line for so many years makes 

 their family blood so strong that it perpetuates whatever characteris- 

 tic there is in it. But in addition to the pedigree the ram must have 

 individual merit, for it would be a great want of judgment to breed 

 from an inferior animal merely because it had a good pedigree. 



The offspring of a good ram and a good flock of ewes will vary in 

 many particulars ; some will show an improvement in one particular 

 and some in another. Every variation that is an improvement is taken 

 advantage of by the skillful breeder and sought to be perpetuated and 

 made permanent, not only in a few individuals, but in the entire flock. 

 Herein lies the progress that has been made in the Vermont Merino. 

 When a gain was made of a few pounds, or even a few ounces in the 

 fleece one year, that gain was sought to be made permanent and in- 

 creased in the descendants, and the success has been so marked that 

 the Vermont breeder looks to the not distant day when a 50-pound 

 fleece may be shown. 



In selecting for breeding great care is exercised not only as regards 

 the pedigree and constitution of the sheep, but as to its form, its fleece, 

 and other points. Variation itself in selection, and those sheep which 

 have increased in merit over their ancestors, are chosen to perpetuate 

 and continue the flock while those that are inferior are discarded. If 

 the breeder desires to breed a wrinkly sheep he will select with that 

 view the most wrinkly sheep ; if with a view to length of staple, those 

 that show that improvement, and if for size and form of the animal he 

 will select the heaviest of the flock, acting on the principle that like 

 begets like. And it sometimes happens that while carrying these selec- 

 tions to an undue extreme other valuable points are overlooked and 

 sacrificed. The conservative plan is to weed out the poor sheep and 

 keep all the best. 



In former years, when the full-blood and thoroughbred Merinos were 

 few in number, it was necessary to use rams on their own progeny, and 

 very close in-and-in breeding was the rule. But at the present day, 

 when there are so many flocks and so many different families and strains 



