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 consideration. 

 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 become 

 characteristic of each breed has arisen from a variety of 

 causes. In all instances the breeder's skill in selecting and 

 mating has been a controlling factor, but other influences 

 have assisted more or less. In some instances, the func- 

 tion 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 developed from the 

 function. In other instances the environment 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 mountain breeds. The low- 

 land breeds are large, square and strongly framed, and 

 heavy producers of wool and mutton; 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 subsistance under rougher conditions, 

 so that the possession of a rugged constitution, and active 

 disposition with strong limbs and muscles are of more im- 

 portance than the other features that are characteristic 

 of other types. Man seeks to fix the type considered char- 

 acteristic of the breeds by elaborating 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, 



