28 



PROBLEMS IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF SHEEP 



quality undoubtedly began to be prized. The Romans went to much 

 trouble to produce this kind of wool. They kept their sheep covered 

 with cloths and confined in barns in order to make the wool fibers 

 fine and soft. At frequent intervals they washed their sheep, combed 

 their fleeces to keep the wool from matting, rubbed fine oil into their 

 skins, and moistened their fleeces with wine. By selecting rams with 

 fine fleeces they succeeded in developing breeding stock which pos- 

 sessed very fine wool. 



The production of fine wool has been a problem of considerable 

 importance ever since the time of the Romans, if not before. 

 Breeders in Spain, Germany, France, and England have worked at 



FIG. 13. Sheep and goats belonging to the Nayajo Indians. The sheep are ill-shaped and 



not uniform in color. 



it and it still receives attention in leading sheep countries such as 

 Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America, and South 

 America. 



Color of Wool. In improving wool, color has received careful 

 attention. Variety of color was perhaps regarded favorably in early 

 times, but when various dye stuffs came to be used, white wool was 

 preferred, because none but a black dye can be used on wool which 

 is black, brown, or gray. It may be that white sheep were once 

 uncommon, for after Spain attained prominence as a wool-growing 

 country her wool was reported as being black. But in all countries 

 where improved methods of sheep husbandry are practiced, the con- 

 stant elimination of blacks, browns, and grays has been so effective 



