THE AMERICAN MERINO 35 I 



Marsh and Merino are crossed extensively, the cross-bred with- 

 standing, says Mr. George A. Brown, the bleak climate of south- 

 ern New Zealand better than any other combination. Mr. Brown 

 says that in Australia the most successful flocks of cross-bred 

 sheep he has seen were from crossing long-wool rams on Merino 

 ewes. The half-bred ewes are culled as though pure-bred, and 

 those selected for breeding are drafted into two lots, one of long 

 wool and the other of Merino type. Merino rams are then used 

 on long- wool type ewes, and long- wool rams on Merino type 

 ewes. Every year this selection is followed out, and a very even 

 type of sheep obtained. On large estates famous for cross-breds, 

 studs of Merino and long-wool rams are kept for this kind of 

 mating, which produces a class of sheep in favor with the butcher, 

 and the wool of which sells well. The French have developed 

 an important sort in France, known as the Dishley Merino, the 

 result of using Leicester rams on Merino ewes. 



The adaptability of the American Merino is great. On the 

 rough mountain pastures of New England and on the ranges 

 of the far West it seems equally at home, though a better fleece 

 is produced in the northeast than the southwest, the dryer climate 

 being more unfavorable. On the richer soils of the middle West 

 the Merino attains more size than in the far West. The American 

 Merino is extremely hardy and thrives on scanty pasture and in 

 cold weather. Grazing in large flocks on the plains, it is specially 

 adapted to the care of the shepherd. Larger flocks of Merinos 

 may be kept together more successfully than is possible with the 

 other breeds. Merinos are very active and rustle for themselves 

 under unfavorable conditions. 



The breeding qualities of the American Merino are rather 

 inferior. The lambs of the heavy-fleeced sort are often weak 

 when dropped ; the ewes are not very prolific and are not supe- 

 rior milkers. In 1903 Mr. C. S. Chapman, one of Ohio's best- 

 known breeders, wrote : 



For many years previous to 1880 my father and I were breeders of the 

 heavy-folded Merinos, having ewes shearing 18 to 20 pounds each, and 

 using rams shearing 30 to 36 pounds each, from the flocks of the best 

 breeders in Vermont. We had our sheep bred so strongly to the pro- 

 duction of wool that we could not raise over 50 to 60 per cent of the 



