WOOL TYPE 421 



lacking in symmetry, and therefore desirable mutton-pro- 

 ducing qualities. The body is wooled from the upper part 

 of the muzzle to the top of the hoofs with the exception of the 

 ears and nose. The peculiar development for wool production 

 gives the breed unusually dense fleece characteristics. The 

 skin is excessively wrinkled over the neck and body. The 

 head is small and has large, spirally twisted horns in the rams. 

 The ewes are polled. From the standpoint of mutton pro- 

 duction the breed is unusually defective, the heavy wool- 

 producing qualities being antagonistic to the development 

 of this quality. The fleece is short and very fine, and at 

 times contains as much as 50 to 70 per cent, of yolk. The 

 fleece is not excelled by any other breed in quantity or 

 quality. Shearings of forty pounds or over are on record. 

 The accumulation of foreign matter in the wool, caused by 

 the excessive amount of yolk, gives the fleece an unusually 

 dark appearance. Scouring removes this entirely. The color 

 of the muzzle is white like the other parts, which are very 

 infrequently exposed, owing to the uniform and dense wool 

 covering. The head is rather broad, the neck thin and the 

 shoulders light. The body has fair depth, although it is some- 

 what short and narrow. The breed is famous only for wool 

 production. 



Delaine Merino. The Delaine Merino is larger in size 

 and smoother in form than the American type. Rams 

 range in weight from 125 to 175 pounds and the ewes from 

 100 to 140 pounds. The breeding out of the folds of the skin 

 has been instrumental in the improvement of the mutton 

 characteristics. The quality of the Delaine is good, both 

 in wool and mutton production. The lower part of the 

 face, muzzle, and lips are white and also that portion of 

 the legs not covered by the fleece. The ears are rather 

 small and covered with a fine quality of soft hair. The 

 quality of the fleece in the Delaine is inferior to that of the 

 American Merino, in not having the same degree of crimp 

 or density. The fleece is also more open than in the Ameri- 

 can type. The breed is either horned or polled, depending 

 on the line of breeding which has been followed. The 

 introduction of crosses has caused considerable variation, 



