﻿4 BULLETIN 20, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the breeding stock himself, the farmer should secure a more uniform 

 lot and one better adapted to his own particular conditions. Another 

 advantage of small numbers, especially where capital is limited, is that 

 better animals can be purchased. 



A GRADE FLOCK. 



A grade flock is desirable under certain circumstances. Where 

 market stock is the sole aim it will doubtless pay better to use grade 

 ewes. It is the improved blood that makes a grade valuable. This 

 being the case, the highest possible grade ewes should be purchased. 

 By using a purebred ram on these ewes — and this is the only kind of 

 ram that ever should be used — a flock can be developed to such a 

 degree of purity that for all market purposes it is equal to the pure- 

 bred flock. 



Again, the financial risk is less with a grade flock, as there is less 

 money invested. A grade flock can at any time be disposed of for 

 its market value. This is not the case with pedigree stock, which, 

 if it must be done immediately, without previous notice, can be sold 

 only at a portion of its actual value. 



CONVERTING A GRADE FLOCK INTO A PUREBRED ONE. 



A grade flock can gradually be converted into a purebred one at 

 small cost by buying a few purebred ewes and by replacing the grade 

 ewes with' the offspring of the purebreds. This is, of course, assum- 

 ing that a purebred ram heads the flock. This scheme also has the 

 advantage of offering experience to the breeder during a time when 

 his flock is not so valuable. 



A PUREBRED FLOCK. 



Purebred stock has a number of advantages over grades. These 

 may be divided into natural and artificial. The natural or inherent 

 advantages of purebred stock arise from the fact that there has- been 

 a concentrated effort in the development of the better breeds to 

 establish, intensify, and perpetuate their superior qualities by using 

 only the best animals for breeding purposes. There have been some 

 exceptions to this, some inferior animals have entered, but the for- 

 mation of a breed has in general been based upon superiority in 

 some form. Nevertheless, owing to the reappearance of inferior indi- 

 viduals, not all purebred sheep are suitable to retain in the flock. 



A breeder of purebred sheep can develop a reputation that never 

 could be acquired with grades. The sales of pedigree breeding stock 

 extend over a much wider range of territory than those of market 

 stock. The show ring also spreads abroad the fame of the breeder of 

 purebred stock. Larger prices are obtained for purebred ewes and 

 rams when sold for breeding purposes, although it costs little more to 



