FOR BREEDING PURPOSES 127 



II. JUDGING SHEEP FOR BREEDING PURPOSES. 



In judging pure bred sheep in the breeding classes, the 

 subject of breed type should receive careful considera- 

 tion. While it has a bearing on the judging of all classes 

 of pure bred stock, yet it is of double importance in the 

 pure bred classes of sheep. 



182. Formation of Types. The type that has be- 

 come characteristic of each breed has arisen from a vari- 

 ety of causes. In all instances the breeder's skill in se- 

 lecting and mating has been a controlling factor, but 

 other influences have assisted more or less. In some in- 

 stances, the function of the animal or the work it is called 

 upon to do has had a strong influence. This is evident 

 in the instance of the running horse, the trotting horse 

 and the dairy cow; where the form or the type has de- 

 veloped from the function. In other instances the en- 

 vironment has aided man in the work of selection and 

 this is notably true of sheep. The adaptability of sheep 

 for different altitudes of land enables us to divide them 

 into lowland breeds, upland or down breeds, and moun- 

 .tain breeds. The lowland breeds are large, square and 

 strongly framed, and heavy producers of wool and mut- 

 ton; the down breeds are smaller, but rounder and more 

 compact with fleece, frame and mutton of better quality. 

 The mountain breeds must have more vigor and agility 

 than those previously mentioned to earn subsistence un- 

 der rougher conditions, so that the possession of a rugged 

 constitution, and active disposition with strong limbs and 

 muscles are of more importance than the other features 

 that are characteristic of other types. Man seeks to fix 

 the type considered characteristic of the breeds by elab- 

 orating a scale of points representing the features desired 

 in the types and towards the production of these ideal 

 types all the breeders bend their energies. 



