424 AGRICULTURE. 



Since sheep were first used for wool produc- 

 tion, the breeds are more easily classified on 

 that basis than upon a basis of mutton produc- 

 tion. The kind of wool determines the class to 

 which the breed belongs. There are three 

 classes known as Fine Wool, Medium Wool 

 and Long WooL 



BREEDS OF FINE-WOOL CLASS. 



1. American Merinos are descendants of the 

 Spanish Merino, a breed native of Spain. These 

 sheep were early brought to America and im- 

 proved. They came to be called American 

 Merinos. This breed is very small, but yields 

 a heavy clip of wool, rams occasionally shearing 

 above thirty pounds. The wool is very fine and 

 contains considerable yolk.J The ra"ms carry 

 heavy spiral horns, but the ewes are hornless. 

 The face and ears are covered with white hair, 

 while wool covers the body to a great degree. 



2. Delaine Merinos are a breed which origi- 

 nated from the American Merinos, and differ 

 from them only in that they possess more of a 

 mutton conformation, are less wrinkled and 

 shear somewhat less. The breed is composed 

 of several sub-breeds or types, the most impor- 

 tant of which are the National, Standard and 

 Dickinson. They are somewhat larger than the 

 American Merinos. 



3. Rambonillets are natives of France, and 

 may be called the French improvement of the 



