30 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



cerned to maintain the excellence and superiority of the 

 main class of wbich these may be considered subordinate; 

 and each of which may possess some special peculiarity 

 which renders it more satisfactory to the public generally. 

 Thus w r e have the so-called Dickinson Polled Merinos, the 

 Standard Delaine Merinos, and the Black-Top Merinos. 



THE DICKINSON MERINO. 



This breed originated in Ohio, by the successful efforts 

 of Mr. William K. Dickinson of Stubenville. It sprang from 

 the Humphrey importation, some of which were purchased 

 by Mr. Kotch of Connecticut who moved to Massilon in Ohio, 

 and carried with him a selected flock of these sheep. This 

 was about eighty years ago. Through some unfortunate 

 financial reverses the flock in part came into the possession 

 of Mr. Dickinson, through whom they in time passed into 

 the hands of Mr. James McDowell, who had been the shep- 

 herd of Mr. Dickinson for many years. 



This flock was then the only pure bred descendants of 

 the original flock, selected at first from the importation of 

 Mr. Humphrey's. Since 1831 these sheep have been in the 

 hands of Mr. McDowell who has bred them with absolute 

 purity, and with such success that at the present time they 

 are scattered in the hands of over one hundred breeders, 

 who have formed an association in whose records there are 

 now six thousand pedigrees, tracing directly to the original 

 stock. 



This breed produces a beautifully-fine standard delaine 

 wool, from four to five inches long, with a soft and glossy 

 fiber, clean and well crimped. The breed is hornless and 

 makes an excellent mutton sheep. It has good size, the 

 rams weighing from 200 Ibs. in ordinary condition, and up 

 to 300 whejn fat and full fleshed. The ewes in good breed- 

 ing condition weigh 150 Ibs. and a finished wether 200 Ibs. 

 The fleece in the grease weighs, for rams, from 20 up to 

 40 Ibs. and for ewes 15 to 25 Ibs. This sheep has been bred 

 distinctly for its carcass of fine mutton, as much as for its 

 excellent fleece. 



THE STANDARD DELAINE. 



This breed originated through the desire of a number of 

 breeders of the Delaine variety of the Merino, to improve 



