32 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



which bring twins and raise strong, healthy lambs will likely transmit their breeding 

 qualities to their progeny. A new ram lamb should be tested for breeding qualities 

 on some of the old ewes whose capabilities are already known. This testing-out of 

 a new sire is quite important if progress is to be made. 



Inbreeding and Line-breeding. The early improvers of the mutton breeds had 

 to practise inbreeding, as they had only their own flocks to select from at first. 

 Inbreeding is the mating of very close relations, as of sire and daughter. Line- 

 breeding is the mating of relatives not so closely akin, although coming from the 

 same ancestry. The advantage of this kind of breeding is that the good qualities of 



r 



L 



An undesirable sire with narrow chest and poor conformation. 



the family are strongly perpetuated. The blood is concentrated, and other charac- 

 teristics are not introduced because outside blood is not used. The disadvantage is 

 that any defect in the individuals, such as weakness of constitution or poor breeding 

 qualities, if such is present, will be sure to crop out strongly. The defects, as well 

 as the good qualities, are brought out strongly by inbreeding. There can be no gain 

 in concentrating the blood of any but animals of the highest excellence. " Breed the 

 best to the best" is always a safe maxim. Cross-breeding should not be practised 

 unless in special cases, such as when mutton rams are crossed with Merinos. 



CARE OF THE FLOCK IN THE FALL. 



Starting with the breeding season, the management of a flock in autumn involves 

 three important things the selection and culling-out of the ewes; selection of the 

 ram ; and mating at the proper time. 



Aged ewes should only be kept if they are known to be good breeders and as 

 long as they are not past profitable age, say 6 years as a general rule. These 

 undesirables, as well as those with spoiled udders, should have been disposed of in 

 spring. In a small flock the ewes will all be known individually to an interested 

 owner. A large flock should have book records kept by means of ear-marks. It 

 must be remembered at this time that the best mothers are the best milkers. These 

 ew T es are liable to be low in flesh after weaning, say, twin lambs, and will show up 

 poorly against a fat ewe which has had one lamb and raised it on little milk. The 

 thin ewes are not usually the culls. Ewe lambs are not bred in their first year under 



