394 



SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



At a sheep -shearing at Alexander, Genesee County, June, 1869, 8 

 sheep were shorn : 



When it was announced that C. Grossman's "Dixie" had produced 

 a fleece of 35 pounds 2 ounces there was some incredulity, but the cor- 

 rectness of the weight was so well established that it was accepted. 

 Henry S. Eandall called for a scouring test, which was given, the re- 

 sult showing 9 pounds 1J ounces of scoured wool, making the second 

 sheep that had reached or exceeded 9 pounds. Dixie was of Vermont 

 stock, and had Humphreys, Jarvis, Cock, Crowningshield, and Cut- 

 ting blood. He was born March 25, 1867, and on May 4, 1868, sheared 

 28J pounds. In 1870 he weighed 131 pounds and sheared 34 pounds 



14 ounces of good wool. In 1871 he sheared 33 pounds. He never 

 equaled his second fleece. 



Still another 35-pound fleece was reached in 1869. The record of 

 the Ontario and Livingston shearing gives five fleeces as exceeding 20 

 pounds; the highest of these was S. D. Short's two-year old ram, whose 

 weight of carcass was 145 pounds. The fleece was of one year's growth 

 and weighed just 35 pounds; his fleece of the previous year weighed 27 

 pounds 8 ounces. The fleece was about the usual fineness of wool con- 

 sidered by the breeders as desirable for heavy-fleeced American Merino 

 sheep. The staple ranged in length from about If to 1J inches, mostly 

 of the latter length. The hardened external yolk or gum was not 

 unusual in amount. Within, the wool was filled to excess and stuck 

 together with yellowish, semi-hardened yolk. The ram was housed 

 from nearly all storms during the year, was wintered on hay and swill 

 from the kitchen, composed of sour milk, apple and potato peelings, 

 and dishwater, of which he was fond. He had some grain, say a pint 

 of oats per day, and the same quantity of bran. But this fleece did not 

 stand the scouring test. When subjected to the same process that the 

 Noble and Grossman fleeces had gone through it yielded but 6 pounds 



15 ounces scoured wool, which amount was exceeded by two fleeces 

 shorn at the same time, weighing before scouring 21 pounds 11 ounces 

 and 24 pounds 8 ounces, scouring, respectively, 8 pounds 5 ounces and 7 

 pounds 2 ounces. The record of 7 sheep is here given. 



