THE DELAINE MERINO 365 



established in Pennsylvania. In 1887 this name was changed 

 to the National Delaine Merino Sheep Breeders' Association. In 

 1890 the Standard Delaine Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders' 

 Association was organized in Pennsylvania, and the same year 

 the Improved Delaine Merino Sheep Breeders' Association was 

 incorporated in Ohio. In 1882 the Ohio Spanish Delaine Merino 

 Sheep Breeders' Association was also organized. In 1883 the 

 Black Top Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders organized in Wash- 

 ington County, Pennsylvania, and in 1885 the Improved Black 

 Top Merino Association organized in the same state. In 1884 

 the Dickinson Delaine Merino Sheep Breeders' Association was 

 organized in Ohio. These several Delaine associations have pub- 

 lished a few flock books and have registered several thousand 

 sheep. In January, 1906, a conference of Delaine Merino 

 breeders, members of different registry associations, met at 

 Columbus, Ohio, and engaged in extended discussion of the 

 wisdom of a consolidation of Merino sheep registry associations. 

 As a result of this meeting, directly following the conference, the 

 Improved Delaine, Standard Delaine, and International Delaine 

 Sheep Associations consolidated into the American Delaine- 

 Merino Record Association. The object of the new association 

 is to promote the purity of breeding, registering, and preserving 

 the American Merino sheep, in accordance with the types A, B, 

 and C. The new association secures a combined membership 

 from the three old ones of several hundred persons. It is antici- 

 pated that still other associations will unite with the new one 

 and thus reduce the number in the field and so simplify the 

 business of registration. 



