FOE MUTTON AND WOOL 109 



appear when the sheep is slightly over two years old, and 

 the fourth pair when it is between four and five years old. 

 This completes the number of incisors and a complete set 

 always indicates that the sheep is between four and five 

 years old. High feeding or forcing hastens the age indica- 

 tions, so that the variations are often unnoticeable, es- 

 pecially in show sheep or those imported from Great 

 Britain. 



I. JUDGING SHEEP FOR MUTTON AND WOOL. 



In judging fat sheep it is necessary to consider tlie 

 needs of the feeder of this class of stock, the demands of 

 the butcher for lambs and mutton, the desires of the con- 

 sumer and the requirements of the manufacturer of wool. 

 These requisites must be merged together to arrive at a 

 correct view of the whole. 



155. The Feeding Type That Gives the Best Gains. 

 In considering the type of sheep which gives the best re- 

 sults in the feed lot, we have only to have in view the 

 type that gives us the greatest vigor, insuring an active 

 digestion and the most constitution, so that nothing may 

 upset the sheep in the rapid progress desired. In this 

 connection it will be well to report the results of an ex- 

 periment made at the Wisconsin Experiment Station by 

 the writer. Two lots of lambs were selected; the one 

 bred by the station showing in fleece and form a high 

 degree of merit for grade sheep. These lambs were bred 

 from high grade ewes and the rams had been selected at 

 high prices for some years to make the best blend with 

 the ewes. The lambs were very uniform as to type and 

 they showed what might be called an unusual degree of 

 merit for ordinary feeding lambs. To compare with these, 

 some lambs native to northern Wisconsin showing the 

 type common to that territory were put upon similar 

 rations. The representatives of both these kinds of lambs, 



