148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



died not long ago, and the present owner of the flock has 

 rams which he expects will take the place of "Taxpayer" in 

 weight of carcass and fleece. 



But we do not argue in favor of mammoth size for the 

 Rambouillet. What we claim is, that no cross-bred flock of 

 sheep in New England can succeed unless Merino blood is 

 one of its component parts, and that no flock of sheep can 

 be profitably conducted upon a large scale without Merino 

 blood. The Rambouillet ewes mature earlier than the 

 Spanish or so-called American Merino, and can drop their 

 first lambs without injury when two years old. 



As to the production of thoroughbred rams in Massachu- 

 setts for the western trade, our advantages are fully equal to 

 those of Michigan, where an enormous business of this kind 

 is done. Our lands are cheaper, our winters no more severe, 

 and we can obtain as cheap freight rates. On single animals, 

 in crates, express charges are prohibitory ; but on carload 

 lots the rates from New England points as fiir west as 

 Oregon would be precisely the same as from Michigan, Ohio 

 and Illinois points. The rams should bring $25 per head 

 in carload lots, and have sometimes been sold in such lots 

 the past year at $50 per head west of the Missi8si[)pi. A 

 combination between even 100 New England farmers would 

 produce carload lots for the western trade, and enable each 

 farmer to operate individually in the sale of single animals 

 locally, as well as in raising avooI, lambs and sheep for 

 ordinary market purposes. 



I hope I have not been misunderstood as disparaging in 

 the least degree the great merits of the British breeds of 

 sheep with which the farmers of New England are so familiar. 

 The Southdown is one of the oldest breeds of sheep in the 

 world, and is the product of many years of careful training 

 by English farmers, — in fact, it may be said to be coeval 

 with English agriculture. There are farmers in Massachu- 

 setts who have devoted more or less time through their whole 

 lives to sheep husbandry, who would have no other ram 

 than a Southdown for the production of early lambs. Just 

 previous to his death, I think Mr. E. F. Bowditch of 

 Framingham had decided that he would have no other rams 

 than Hampshires for the production of early lambs. Then 



