EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 399 



in for English sheep, and superficial observers thought that the Merino 

 was to be wholly superseded by the mutton sheep throughout the whole 

 country, and in New York such was measurably the case. Conserva- 

 tive writers called attention to the great need of more combing wool 

 and better mutton, which could be obtained only by keeping the Eng- 

 lish long- wool sheep. High-priced land and high-priced labor demanded 

 high forming, and high farm ing required high feeding; the latter profit- 

 able only with improved stock. These were the sheep of the grain- 

 growing farmer, and adapted to the Kew York system of farming. 

 Under the increasing demand and fashion for materials made of comb- 

 ing wool the English sheep received increased attention and were mul- 

 tiplied, and their fleeces were noted as were those of the Merino a few 

 years previous. The Lincolnshire sheep, which were neglected years 

 before, now found eager purchasers and commanded high prices. The 

 fleeces of three are recorded in 1869 : 



One rain a year old gave a washed fleece of 20 pounds; extreme length, 17 inches. 

 One ram a year old gave a washed fleece of 18f pounds ; extreme length, 16 inches. 

 One ewe one year old gave a washed fleece of 16 pounds ; extreme length, 15 

 inches. 



Texel sheep were also introduced and the shearing of two ewes is re- 

 corded. One whose weight of carcass was 90 pounds gave &-& pounds 

 of wool, and one whose weight was 154 pounds gave 9 j^ pounds of wool. 



The Cotswold continued to be the favorite coarse-wooled sheep, and 

 many trials were made by crossing rams of that breed on Merino ewes 

 to get a cross that would unite the flesh of the former with the wool of the 

 latter. In 1871 the American Agriculturist reported 67 lambs from 60 

 Merino ewes and a pure-bred Cotswold ram. The lambs were healthy 

 and hardy. But one was lost. One weighed when dropped 12J pounds. 

 At 9 weeks old 5 of these lambs weighed 50, 46 , 52, 47J, and 46.J 

 pounds, an average of 49 pounds each. A grade Cotswold-Merino ram 

 lamb killed at 7 months old weighed before being killed 96 pounds. 



Blood weighed 2J pounds ; offal weighed 21 pounds; pelt weighed 18 

 pounds; carcass weighed 54 pounds; waste weighed one-half pound. 



Seventy-four such lambs were raised from 60 ewes, costing $2.50 each. 

 They were well wooled from the nose to the toes. 



In 1869 Joseph Harris, of Eochester, began an experiment with the 

 Cotswold-Merino cross, which he conducted for many years with great 

 care and system in selection and crossing, as also in feeding, to secure 

 size of carcass and qualities of flesh and fleece. He succeeded in 

 breeding a flock of great uniformity both as to mutton and wool. In 

 1887 he raised 168 lambs from 150 ewes, losing three only. 



J. D. Wing had a flock of imported Cotswolds from which lambs at 

 10 weeks old weighed 48 J, 50, 48 J, 47 J, 46 J, and 48 pounds. 



In 1874 his thoroughbred Cotswold ewe lambs 11 J months old weighed 

 128, 122, 125, 135, 129, 137, 125, 101, 104, 109, 125, and 101 pounds. 

 The last had a fleece of fine lustrous wool, 12 to 14 inches long. His 

 ram lambs at same age weighed 142, 145, 157, 179, and 187 pounds, 



