EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 



625 



The shearing at Saline for 1891 showed several rams that exceeded a 

 fleece of 30 pounds and ewes that exceeded 18 pounds. The age, weight 

 of sheep, weight of fleece^ and length of staple are here given: 



RAMS. 



EWES. 



With the exception of three, all these fleeces were less than 365 days' 

 growth, many of them were 364 days. Most of the sheep belonged to 

 the Wood flocks, and IN". A. Wood, in a communication to the Michigan 

 Farmer, claimed that the shearing demonstrated that he had the " most 

 heavy ewe fleeces of any flock in the United States of America." He 

 cites the fact that few, if any, were more than a year's growth, and 



The 62 sheared at the Saline public shearing were shorn there the last year one day 

 later, so were less than a year. I have 22 that sheared 440 pounds ; lightest 17 

 pounds; heaviest, 28 pounds. Ten of these sheared 225 pounds; an average of 22^- 

 pounds. The four heaviest were sheared at Saline, except one (she being heavy in 

 lamb I could not take her) and cut lOOf pounds, an average of 25 pounds 3 ounces. 

 All but three of the 22 ewes have had lambs (mostly in March, 1891), and nearly all 

 are raising their lambs. The three that I mentioned were 2-year-olds and have not 

 bred. 



The improvement of the Merino sheep in Michigan attests the adap- 

 tation of the soil, climate and herbage to them and the skill of the Mich- 

 igan breeders. A comparison with the early Merinos of the country 

 will show the improvement. In 1883 six fleeces of Michigan sheep 

 (stock rams), whose average live weight was 117J pounds, realized 49 ^ 

 pounds scoured wool, or an average of 8 fV pounds per fleece. The least 

 was 7 pounds, the heaviest 9 pounds 2J ounces. Compared with Chan- 

 ; cellor Livingston's sheep about 1810, their unwashed fleeces averaged 

 7y| pounds, the best one at fourteen mouths 9-^ pounds. The average 

 live weight of the Livingston sheep was 125 pounds. The per cent of 

 22990 40 



