THE DELAINE MERINO 517 



within its own blood lines for many years.. During the nineties 

 many of the wrinkly flocks were crossed with the plain-bred sheep 

 to bring about a more practical wool-mutton Merino ; also, many 

 of the plainer flocks were crossed up with the wrinkly rams to- 

 give a greater weight of fleece. Satisfactory results were attained 

 in each case. 



The mutton value of the Delaine or C type has long been 

 emphasized and is an important argument advanced by breeders 

 in its behalf. The wethers mature fairly early and sell at a com- 

 paratively satisfactory price, being in demand on account of not 

 carrying too much fat. They will not dress out quite so well as 

 the true mutton type, but show a fair per cent of carcass to offal. 

 In 1882 McClelland Brothers of Pennsylvania sheared 100 three- 

 year-old wethers that averaged 1 1 pounds washed Delaine wool, 

 after which the sheep weighed on the market nol- pounds each. 

 The feeding of Delaine wethers has been made a specialty by 

 many breeders in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and West 

 Virginia, where the mutton has been regarded as of very excel- 

 lent quality. The Ohio Experiment Station has produced a very 

 superior class of Delaine mutton sheep on its branch station at 

 Carpenter, using large, strong, C type rams. 



The breeding quality of the Delaine is much superior to that 

 of the A type Merino. The mothers are more prolific, yield more 

 milk, and make better nurses. The lambs from C type ewes are 

 larger and stronger at birth and require less attention than do 

 those of the A type. 



The crossbred or grade Delaine is valued on the range. Pure- 

 bred rams used on range ewes give a better mutton sheep and 

 are more suited to the range trade than where American Merino 

 rams are used. In fact, in recent years the Western-range shep- 

 herd has objected to sheep with folds and has put a premium 

 on a Merino of the light B or the C type. Many Delaine rams 

 have been used in the West, and the fact is, a large percentage 

 of the mutton sheep produced west of the Missouri are essen- 

 tially Delaine in character. At the Ohio State University very 

 superior mutton has been produced in using pure-bred South- 

 down rams on ewes of Delaine type, the cross resulting in an 

 improvement in the mutton form and a fleece of superior 



