602 



SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



In 1889 Messrs. E. Peck & Sons, from their Merino flock of nearly 

 2,000 sheep, sheared rams and ewes which gave the following fleeces, 

 all the growth of 365 days : 



Many rams sheared from 26 pounds down to 15 pounds, and ewes from 

 18 pounds down to 12 pounds. 



At the shearing of the same flock in 1890, 15 ranis and 6 ewes made 

 this record : 



At the shearing of the same flock April 10, 1891, 18 rams, two years 

 old and over, weighed 2,529 pounds and gave 493 pounds of wool, an 

 average weight of the rams of 140 pounds each and of the fleece of 27 ^ 

 pounds each. Four yearling rains gave an average of 16f pounds of 

 wool each, one rising to 26 pounds. Thirteen ewes gave 224 pounds of 

 wool, an average of 1 7-^ pounds each. The individual record of the 12 

 heaviest shearing old rams, four yearlings and 6 ewes, is here given: 



