CHAPTER XVIII. 



CROSSBREEDING. 



Crossbreds, to do well, should have fairly good 

 pasture at the least. Rapid and profitable mutton 

 maturity require this. There should be defined method 

 in the system pursued in all crossing. Without dis- 

 crimination the flock will be of a nondescript character, 

 disappointing for the owner or a purchaser to look at. 

 The great bulk of the flocks of the Dominion are com- 

 posed of crossbreds, and provide most profitable returns 

 where careful methods are pursued, but there are many 

 flocks that do not tend towards the best results. There is 

 the blood of so many different breeds in some flocks that a 

 permanent-flock sheep farmer often finds that he has to 

 do heavy and constant culling if his aim is a satisfac- 

 torily even flock. Changing and chopping around in 

 the selection of the ram will not assist towards obtaining 

 for one's land a suitable breed for the environment, and 

 will never attain that most desirable aim in evenness of 

 flock, nor will it ever determine satisfactorily what the 

 particular blood it is in a cross that gives whatever 

 success may be obtained. 



The Lincoln, the English Leicester, the Border 

 Leicester, and the Romney ram cross well with the 

 Merino ewe. When the Lincoln is used the ram 

 should have a small, fine head, and the ewes should be 

 roomy and robust, otherwise the tax upon the smaller 

 Merino ewe at delivery may end fatally, and when the 

 Border Leicester is used on the Merino the ewes should 

 also be roomy and robust. 



The half-bred is produced by the above crosses, and 

 by placing the same kind of ram again to the half-bred 



