ESTABLISHING A FLOCK AND IMPROVING IT 453 



for the reason that it is only rams thus bred that are 

 prepotent. Cross-bred or grade rams will be less potent 

 in the character of their transmission, because of the ab- 

 sence of fixedness in their dominant characters. The 

 transmission from such rams will be variable in propor- 

 tion as their blood elements are mixed, which is equiva- 

 lent to saying in proportion as they are diluted and weak- 

 ened. When it is not possible to secure pure-bred rams, 

 the higher the grade of the rams chosen, the better. The 

 practice of choosing grade sires within the flock is to be 

 deprecated. If long continued it will certainly result in 

 lowering the standard of the flock, since it is in-and-in- 

 breeding that extends to all the animals which compose 

 the flock. In such instances the mating will be more or 

 less faulty viewed from the standpoint of conformation, 

 and it will certainly result in retrogression. 



Prominent among the factors that should influence 

 determination as to which breed the rams shall be chosen 

 from are environment and the demands of the market. 

 The exposure, the grazing and the other food supplies 

 should be considered in relation to environment. Only 

 rugged sheep, as those possessed of much Merino blood, 

 should be kept on the ranges, and only mountain breeds 

 on mountain lands. Only light breeds should be kept 

 on rugged and sparse pastures, and breeds that naturally 

 produce lambs early should not be allowed to do so 

 where succulence cannot be supplied to the dams. 



Dominance in the object for which the sheep are 

 kept, the most suitable size of lamb and the season when 

 it is wanted should be considered in relation to market 

 demands. When wool is the dominant object sought, 

 Merino blood should, as a rule, be prominently in evi- 

 dence. When mutton is the chief consideration, rams 

 should be chosen from the mutton breeds ; when the dual 

 quality or mutton and wool are both sought, as the mar- 

 kets run today, these will be secured in the highest degree 

 from choosing rams of one or another of the middle-wool 



