CROSS BREEDING FOR WOOL. 241 



the Leicester, but the error was quickly discovered and rec- 

 tified. The produce was an animal as small as the Merino, 

 and having a light, open fleece, short like the dam's. 

 It was wrong both ways, as might have been expected. 

 The small dam brought a small lamb, and the loose fleece of 

 the ram only lightened without lengthening that of the cross. 

 But on reversing the method an excellent cross was pro- 

 cured, having a 10-lb. fleece as fine as that of the sire, and 

 a lamb that at two years old made a,s much weight as the 

 Merino at three years. 



The cross of the mutton breeds on the Merino has been 

 productive of weakness in the offspring. Its effect is to 

 lengthen the staple without increasing its density, and the 

 want of constitution spoiled the sheep itself. But the re- 

 verse cross has been all the other way. This will be better 

 shown in the next article when illustrations of cross-bred 

 wool will be given. Density in the fleece is necessary for 

 protection from stress of weather, and from excess of dirt; 

 it also gives the weight desired. The Merino also confers 

 the yolkiness upon the fleece, which is one valuable agent 

 for the protection of the wool in every way. Thus it has 

 been found that the most wrinkly and yolky of the large 

 Merinos make the best cross on the Downs and the long- 

 wools. And this is the more reasonable because these 

 wrinkled sheep are the possessors of the naturally strong 

 constitution of the race, and have not been bred down to 

 secure a change of natural character. 



The large Merino then is also the ram for improving the 

 common native ewe. It may be quite possible that a first 

 cross of the smaller Merino might be better as a start for 

 this purpose, but so far, excellent results have been gained 

 by this cross. This cross will then be continued, for there is 

 nothjng in the dam worth perpetuating, and the high grade 

 will be kept as a permanent flock, but always with a pure 

 ram for its leader. 



In all the pursuits of life, whether intellectual, mechan- 

 ical or industrial, each person must have an ideal which is to 

 be the ultimate object in view, and for the attainment of 

 which the nature and variations of this ideal are to be 

 clearly understood. Thus the sheep breeder, whether his 

 object may be the carcass for mutton, or the fleece for wool, 



