518 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Scale of points. 



(1) Blood tracing through some of the Lest flocks to imported stock, and the 



wool must grade XXX or above 1 



(2) Constitution indicated by general appearance 15 



(3) Size 10 



(4) Body well proportioned and free from wrinkles 12 



(5) Head 5 



(6) Neck short, well set, only si ight dewlap 5 



(7) Legs and feet legs short and heavy boned , 5 



(8) Evenness of fleece well covered on belly, face, and legs 15 



(9) Density of fleece 12 



(10) Length of staple and fine crimp 10 



(11) Oil wool opening white 10 



Perfection 100 



There is not at the present day that demand for the superior wool of 

 the Saxony sheep that renders the multiplication of flocks profitable, 

 but it is believed if larger nocks were formed and a specialty made of 

 superfine wool production of the highest excellence, buyers would be 

 attracted, competition engendered, and the value of each clip enhanced. 

 As it is, however, the Saxonies are on the decline, their breeders are 

 gradually losing interest in them and quitting them for the medium 

 wools. 



And yet, notwithstanding times of depression when low prices of 

 wool were discouraging, the Washington County farmers have kept up 

 their flocks better than in any other section of the country, increased 

 and improved them. In 1825 there were 110,000 sheep; in 1836, about 

 225,000. The number of sheep and pounds of wool for the years I860, 

 1870, and 1880 are thus given by the United States census: 



The increase in the weight of fleece from 1800 to 1870 was caused by 

 the general substitution of the Spanish Merino in place of the Saxony. 

 From 1870 to 1880 great care in selecting breeding stock takes credit 

 for the increase of nearly 1 pound per fleece. The number of sheep for 

 1890 and the amount of wool is not at this writing available, but careful 

 estimates from several sources indicate an average of over 6 pounds 

 per head. And the decade from 1880 to 1890 has not been without its 

 drawbacks. The tariff of 1883 was discouraging to the wool-grower; 

 many flocks were sent out of the county in 1885, some of them across 

 the Missouri Kiver, and many were sacrificed to the butcher. It is esti- 

 mated that the loss this one year in the county, on wool alone, was 



