414 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



ton character has been steadily growing in favor, with a 

 constantly increasing prejudice against the lean, muscular 

 sheep, covered with folds, so difficult to shear. Conse- 

 quently at the present day, Merinos of the A type are 

 rarely seen, and are in very limited demand. For this 

 reason but brief consideration is given this type. 



A scale of points for the American Merino, generally 

 satisfactory in character, does not seem to exist. A number 

 of Merino sheep associations have published scales of points 

 for sheep of this type, but they have not been logically ar- 

 ranged and made no satisfactory measure of values. There- 

 fore, the author has drawn up the scale of points on page 415 

 as applicable to the American or Class A Merino. This, 

 as here presented, has been submitted to some of the best- 

 known and most intelligent breeders of this type of sheep 

 in America. 



The distinctive characteristics of the American Merino 

 include a number of features limited to this type. The body 

 is lean and muscular, sharp over the withers, narrow of 

 back from a mutton standpoint, ribs lacking in arch, and 

 hindquarters long, but tending to be narrow and droopy, 

 with long, lean thighs. The legs tend to come close together 

 at knee and hock, with the toes pointing out. The body is 

 densely covered with the finest grade of wool, excepting 

 on the lower part of the face and muzzle, and parts of legs, 

 where a fine, silky, white hair occurs. Folds or wrinkles in 

 the skin of nose, neck, brisket, shoulders, flanks, sides, rump 

 and thighs, give this type of Merino a very striking appear- 

 ance, either with or without the fleece. Expert judges of 

 American Merinoes rarely examine the form other than by 

 use of the eye. The hand is used only to feel of the fleece, to 

 part the locks and to note the various conditions associ- 

 ated with the wool. In judging, no attention is paid to 

 mutton condition, excepting as indicating vigorous condi- 

 tion of health, which the judge notes in the healthy, pink 

 condition of skin as he examines the fleece. The weight 

 of the ram rarely attains 150 pounds at maturity, but this 



