ESTABLISHING A FLOCK AND IMPROVING IT 451 



likewise those with dark or black spots in the wool or 

 that have a pale, lifeless-looking skin, which points to a 

 delicate constitution. The skin should be of a beautiful 

 rich pink or rose-colored tint. 



The aim should be to secure foundation stocks from 

 reputable breeders, that no shadow may rest upon the 

 purity of the breeding. The more outstanding the repu- 

 tation of the breeder, the easier will it be for beginners to 

 make sales of their surplus stock. It would be easy, how- 

 ever, to pay too high a price for the advantage which 

 such reputation would bring. When the requisite essen- 

 tials are present, the nearer that the animals can be pur- 

 chased to the place where they are to be maintained the 

 better it is, as the changed conditions are then less vio- 

 lent. Inexperienced beginners incur much hazard when 

 they begin by importing costly animals from other coun- 

 tries. 



Establishing a flock of grades When establishing a 

 flock of grades, careful attention should be given to the 

 form of the females chosen. The essentials of form are 

 the same virtually as for ewes devoted to the breeding 

 of milk lambs (see page 242). Any evidences of delicacy 

 should result in the rejection of such ewes for breeding. 

 The previous history of the flock as to the presence of 

 parasitic diseases should be carefully looked into before 

 making purchases, as in the case of pure breds. But 

 when the ewes selected are purchased at the stock yards, 

 such information may be unobtainable. As in the case 

 of purebreds, when time has evidenced that the flock is free 

 from such diseases, the aim should be to avoid introduc- 

 ing other females in addition to those produced by the 

 flock. 



The blood elements possessed by the females, though 

 not entirely unimportant are probably of less importance 

 than correct form. The presence of many blood elements 

 should not be regarded as an objection when choosing 

 foundation ewes. Usually, the more mixed their breed- 



