CROSS BREEDING FOR WOOL. 



255 



strong blood, and in some the result of both sides, as if there 

 were a struggle for the preponderance. The five drawings 

 are of the parents of the crosses which follow. When we 

 study these cross-bred wools we are impressed by the fact 

 that the first two crosses vary considerably, showing the in- 

 fluence of both parents, and as these are both of the strong- 

 est blood, the two oldest breeds in existence, this is not an 

 unexpected result. But in the third cross the two most un- 



FIG. 25. FIG. 26. FIG. 27. FIG. 28. FIG. 29. 



Fig. 25, % Merino and Southdown. 



Fig. 26, 15-16 Merino and Southdown 



Fig. 27, % Merino, H Shropshire, and y a Southdown. 



Fig. 28, y z Merino and Leicester. 



Fig. 29, % Merino and % Leicester. 



like samples are still so nearly of the same character as to 

 show that by this cross a decided change has been effected 

 and a true cross-bred wool has been produced. 



Fig. 27 shows distinctly the influence of the Shropshire 

 rani on the % Merino, and % Southdown ewe. The fiber has 

 a decided Shropshire character, with enough of the other 

 mixed blood with it, to make a distinct class of wool. 



Pigs. 28 and 29 show a distinct variation due to both par- 

 ents. The cross has been found most 

 desirable among the French and the 

 Leicester is in demand to supply this 

 kind of wool as well as to produce the 

 finest kind of mutton, a larger carcass 

 of meat, and a larger fleece with the 

 lustre and smoothness of the Leicester, 

 and the fineness and softness of the 

 Merino. 



Figure 78 is a fiber of wool taken FIG. so. 



from a Cotswold-Merino ram bred by H Cotswold and Merino 



