372 



SHEEP 



of ten breeds, 49.57 per cent, compared with 55.26 for the 

 Southdown, and was priced at $5.00 per hundred live weight, 

 compared with $5.75 for the Southdown. 



The Rambouillet as a wool producer ranks well. In 1838, on 

 the farm at Rambouillet, 40 rams yielded an average fleece of 



10 pounds 4 ounces, and 201 ewes and 85 lambs an average of 

 7 pounds. The years 1847, 1869, and 1877 saw a gradual 

 improvement in weight and quality of fleece, the latter year 15 

 adult rams averaging 16 pounds 9.3 ounces weight of fleece, 

 and 521 ewes of various ages 10 pounds 3.1 ounces. At the 

 present time it is doubtful if the average ram will shear over 

 15 pounds and the average ewe over 10 pounds, but this, of 

 course, does not apply to flocks as carefully bred as that at 

 Rambouillet. Mr. Max Chapman of Ohio reports that the 

 ewe Hiawatha bred by him produced one year 29 pounds of 

 unwashed wool. The fleece of this breed is not quite so fine 

 as that of the other Merinos and also shows somewhat less of 



011 and crimp. 



Cross-bred or grade Rambouillet sheep are best known on the 

 western range, where for some years large numbers of pure-bred 

 rams have been shipped from Ohio and Michigan for use on 

 native stock. This gives a larger, better mutton type, with a 

 strong constitution, and at the same time increases the fleece 

 value. Not only this, but the smooth-bodied grade is more in 

 favor with the shearer on the range than the smaller, more 

 wrinkled sort. Vermont breeders in the past have used Ram- 

 bouillet rams on American ewes to produce large, vigorous rams 

 suited to the southwestern trade. 



The breeding qualities of the Rambouillet rank well. For 

 twelve years preceding 1881 Bernardin, then in charge of the 

 government flock in France, reports that 4005 ewes were re- 

 served for breeders, of which 83.1 per cent were productive, the 

 83.1 ewes dropping 92 lambs, including twins. In the author's 

 experience with the Rambouillet, covering ten years, the ewes 

 were prolific breeders, frequently dropping twins, and were un- 

 usually good mothers, having large udders and producing much 

 milk. One objection to some of the ewes was too large a teat. 

 The udders averaged larger than with any other breed of sheep 



