GROWING AND FITTING SHEEP FOR EXHIBITION 259 



hence in the exhibits of these the skill of the breeder is 

 more clearly demonstrated than in many of the exhibits 

 of pure breds. In but rare instances do professional show 

 men buy a pen of grades or crossbreds and with them 

 make the rounds of the leading fairs, as they do frequently 

 with pure breds. 



When grown by the exhibitor, they may be one of several 

 grades and crosses. The foundation females should be 

 ewes of fairly good form, not less than medium in size for 

 the grade, and possessed of that structure which indi- 

 cates good milk-giving properties. They should possess 

 much inherent ruggedness ; hence ewes much, mixed in 

 breeding, even such as come from the range, may answer 

 the purpose well. Though decided indications of Merino 

 blood are present, they are not to be rejected on that ac- 

 count. Such ewes may be variously crossed upon, but no 

 cross will serve the purpose better, as a rule, than one of 

 Shropshire or Southdown blood. In the experience of the 

 author, excellent lambs for exhibition purposes were pro- 

 duced from ewes mated with a Southdown ram that were 

 the offspring of such ewes as have just been referred to, 

 mated with a Shropshire ram. Lambs thus bred at the 

 Minnesota Station in 1901 were given first place at the 

 Chicago International, when showing against the world. 

 In some instances it was found that lambs of the first 

 generation answered for such breeding, but more com- 

 monly those of the second generation were even more 

 suitable, and in some instances further grading gave even 

 better results. 



The rams chosen for mating with such females 

 should possess medium size for the breed, fleshing prop- 

 erties of a high order and of proved prepotency where it 

 is found possible to obtain such evidence. Should rams 

 unusually large for the breed be chosen, the danger is 

 present that something of coarseness and too much 

 strength of limb may be transmitted to the progeny. In 

 the leading fat stock fairs of Great Britain, the progeny of 



