110 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



for tlia breeders who have the standard in their ruind, and 

 must for successful competition for the premiums work in 

 strict conformity with its requirements. 



Possibly the Germans have reached the high excellence 

 of their best breeds of sheep by the happy thought of em- 

 ploying experts for the selection of rams used for breeding. 

 These expert judges travel through the country and visit the 

 (locks of the breeders, and especially of the large estates of 

 the wealthy proprietors. They advise the owners of the 

 special points to be bred for in their flocks, and select those 

 rams that are the most desirable to preserve unity of type. 

 The immense advantage of this is apparent at first thought. 

 It gives to many the mind of one, and thus uniformity is 

 gained, and once gained is preserved. This is valuable, to not 

 only the special breeder, but to the mere wool producer whose 

 income depends, not so much on the actual weight of his 

 product, but of any special value it may have for the manu- 

 facturer. We may come to this in time ourselves, and doubt- 

 less find the advantage of it in the right selection of the rams 

 for the wool grower, as well as the mutton producer. As the 

 great majority of our flocks are low bred, or half bred, or 

 not bred at all, there is unquestionably a vast improvement 

 possible in the increase of the value of them, for all their 

 products, including rams for the use of the ordinary shep- 

 herd who is unable to breed his own, an unwise thing to do 

 anyway, as may be exemplified by the example given above 

 of- the two flocks of pure Leicesters. As it is, there is too 

 much of the uncertainty, if not ignorance, of the precise 

 needs of the flockmaster; too much of the carelessness, and 

 sometimes too much of the willfulness among shepherds: 

 which may be illustrated by the common adage relating to a 

 person known as Dr. Fry, who was much disliked by some 

 one, who gave his reason in this Avay: 



"I do not like you, Doctor Pry, 



I cannot tell the reason why; 



But I clo not like you, Doctor Pry." 



For and against the sheep in its variations, many a 

 shepherd may say the same of those he does not approve of, 

 'and yet for want of the accurate knowledge, which is noth- 

 ing more or less than the science of his profession, the shep- 



