CROSS BREEDING FOR WOOL. 247 



of wools by their cross sections, as shown in figs. 11, 12 and 

 13, it will be seen that there is a nearer approach between 

 11 and 12 than between those in group 13, and that the Lei- 

 cester and Southdown yary but little in the fiber from the 

 Merino. It may be said here that in cross breeding these 

 more closely related breeds have been mixed with far greater 

 advantage than the more unlike breeds. And the Merino- 

 Leicester alike in fineness of fiber and nearly approaching in 

 other respects, has made the best of all the crosses that have 

 been attempted between the short and loug-wooled sheep. 



So, too, it may be pointed out at this time, lest it may not 

 be fully regarded hereafter, that the effect of the Cotswold 

 on those other breeds upon which it has been crossed for 

 some special object other than the fleece, has left its most dis- 

 tinguishing mark upon the other breeds, by its "dash of 

 blood," as it is termed in the conspicuous central pigment 

 cells that were originally a distinct mark of this most potent- 

 blooded breed, and which to-day is so special a peculiarity 

 of its fleece, as to mark the trace of its blood in all the 

 breeds with which it has been mixed, and as a detector of 

 impurity in their blood. 



For the purpose of this discussion we may assume that 

 there are only four really pure breeds of sheep concerned 

 in the production of our present varieties. These are the 

 Merino, which merits the distinction of being the oldest 

 race in existence; the Cotswold, which comes next; the 

 Southdown and the old Hampshire. These are all worthy 

 of distinction because they have been the origin of all our 

 present breeds. Perhaps we may leave out of this category 

 the Merino, which stands alone as a special breed that has 

 held a singular place in the world as the most valuable wool 

 producer at any age, and is destined so to remain, except as 

 in the future we may find it to be of the greatest value in 

 the improvement of other sheep for the production of what 

 may come to be called cross-bred wools. 



Then we shall have the above mentioned three breeds, 

 and possibly the old Lincoln (as the origin of the Leicester) 

 might be thought to deserve a place and make out an even 

 four, excluding the Merino. Every one of these has under- 

 gone such a course of improvement as to be wholly remod- 

 eled. This change has been due to mixture of new blood 



