WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 957 



were making. It proved a delusive hope; the variable seasons and grass gave us 

 such unequal results that we learned nothing from it. It clearly demonstrated 

 one fact, whenever the growth of wool was arrested by short feed, spoiled feed, 

 rain after grass dried in summer losing its strength, rigorous or inclement weather, 

 all the wool growth lost during such periods of its growth were at the expense of 

 length of staple and weight of fleece. We had no way of finding out what progress 

 we were making in regard to fineness of fiber. In 1883 we addressed a letter to the 

 Commissioner of Agriculture to ascertain who he appointed to examine wool fibers. 

 He referred our letter to William McMurtrie, professor of chemistry in the Illinois 

 Industrial University; that placed us in communication with him. We sent him 

 wool samples in 1883-'84 ; he reported to us after examination that our wool samples 

 sent him had an average fineness of 1,267 fibers to the lineal inch. 



Youatl's measurement of Merino wool fibers. 



In England, from Lord Westerman's flock, 1835, lineal inch 750 



Manly Miles's measurement of wool fibers from E. Hammond's flock of 8 Meri- 

 nos, Vermont growth of 1864 1, 209 



From W. H. Ladds, of Ohio, growth of 1864 1, 294 



From C. H. Rich, Lapeer, Mich., 1 ram, 1864 - 1, 164 



C. H. Rich, Lapeer, Mich., 4 ewes, 1864 1, 087 



Argentine Republic, 13 rams, 1876 1, 265 



Australian colonies, 7 rams, 1876 1, 260 



Our measurements made by McMurtrie, 1884 1, 267 



From the above comparisons, we have kept abreast of the times in regard to fine- 

 ness of fibers. In 1888 we closed out our Merino flock after charging every expense 

 against them except feed and care; we had to the credit of our Merino family after 

 paying original investment $2,465.36, in a run of fifteen years with them. 



In 1873-'74 we bought 217 thoroughbred Southdown ewes from E. Meek, Alameda 

 County. The orignal stock was imported by J. D. Patterson, of New York, costing 

 us, delivered on the ranch $1,565. This was the base of our grade flock; we crossed 

 them with thoroughbred Spanish Merino bucks. By having those two and pure va- 

 rieties we were enabled to make crosses with but two types, one to the Merino and 

 the other to the Southdown. I append a table of the results of our crosses ; we 

 adopted an earmark for each grade. Before shearing we separated them into their 

 respective grades ; each grade of wool was weighed, averaged, and placed to the 

 credit of its class. Our sheep year was from September to September. We adopted 

 that method in order to get our fall lamb clip in their first year's average. We sent 

 samples of our grade wool to Prof. McMurtrie in 1883 ; he reported in 1885 as follows : 



Lineal incli measurement. 



Fifteen-sixteenths Merino, one-sixteenth Southdown 1, 292 



Seven-eighths Merino, one-eighth Southdown 1, 316 



Three-fourths Merino, one-fourth Southdown 1 7 320 



One-half Merino, one-half Southdown 1,060 



Pure Shropshire buck 713 



Nine-sixteenths Merino, four-sixteenths Shropshire, three-sixteenths South- 

 down 1, 196 



Three-eighths Merino, four-eighths Shropshire, one-eighth Southdown 1, 042 



Two-eighths Merino, four-eighths Shropshire, two-eighths Southdown 1, 077 



From the above report our fifteen-sixteenths, seven-eighths, and three-fourths 

 Merinos were finer than our thoroughbred Merinos. Our three-fourths Merinos were 

 the finest. 



By referring to the above table you will notice that the first cross between the 

 Merino and Southdown gave us an average gain of 3.38 pounds. The second cross, 

 three-fourths Merino, one-fourth Southdown, gave a gain of 3.36 pounds over thq 

 first. 



