568 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



and the Dickinson. All the Delaine 

 Merinos have horns, and more or less 

 wrinkles or folds about the neck and 

 breast. The Black Top Merinos, like- 

 wise, have horns in the rams, but do not 

 have wrinkles and the fleece is more of 

 a black. The Dickinson or polled Me- 

 rinos have neither horns nor wrinkles. 

 They are a little larger in size and the 

 fleece is longer than the Delaines. 



Ewes of the Delaine type, when ma- 

 ture, will weigh from 100 to 150 pounds, 

 the rams from 140 to 190 pounds. They 

 are practically equal to the American 

 Merinos in hardiness and grazing powers, 

 but are superior to them in early ma- 



Merino Sheep Breeders' association with 

 a registration of 217,850. 



Mexican Merinos — The Mexican Me- 

 rino is a descendant of Spanish flocks 

 and has been bred in Mexico for al- 

 most 200 years without any outcross or 

 improvement. These sheep have long 

 legs, long, slim bodies, small, rather 

 long necks and a long, thin head, carried 

 high. The wool is fine and thin, and 

 to the eye they appear almost worthless 

 as mutton sheep and of still less value 

 for wool. They are remarkably hardy, 

 however, are excellent travelers, keep in 

 good condition on the poorest and dryest 

 of ranges, are fairly prolific and can 



Fig. 355 — POLLED DICKINSON DELAINE MERINO RAMS 



turing qualities, in the quality of the 

 mutton produced, and in feeding quali- 

 ties. The Delaines are used extensively 

 for crossing on western range sheep, 

 where the fleece has become light and 

 open. The fleece in ewes will weigh 

 from 9 to 15, and in the bucks, 12 to 

 18 pounds. The minimum length of the 

 fleece is 3 inches. 



Twelve or fifteen associations have 

 been organized in the United States to 

 look after the interests of the American 

 and Delaine Merinos. Some of the or- 

 ganizations in the case of the American 

 Merinos are in a decadent condition. On 

 the whole more than 300,000 sheep of 

 these breeds have been registered. One 

 of the largest of these is the Vermont 



be herded in bunches of almost any 

 size. They fatten easily, though never 

 look plump, and bring top prices in 

 the Chicago market, since they shrink 

 very little in dressing, while the meat 

 is of excellent flavor. Yearling ewes 

 and wethers when in good condition will 

 weigh about 90 pounds. 



New Mexico Merinos — The old Mexi- 

 can Merinos as above described have been 

 graded up with American Merino rams 

 in New Mexico and Southern Colorado, 

 and greatly improved in appearance. 

 From these improved Merinos, excellent 

 feeding lambs are obtained, which are 

 extensively fattened in Colorado and 

 some of the states farther east for the 

 Chicago market, where they bring top 



