SHEEP UNITED STATES, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA. 13 



no means least, the type represented by the photo could not be better designed 

 as an attraction for the blowfly. The thick fleece, excessive grease, tight 

 wrinkles combine to set up conditions extremely favorable to the operations of 

 the maggot fly. 



In order to show the contrast between a stud Merino ewe of 10 years ago and 

 the present day. another photo is inserted in this article, and it is safe to say 

 that as a commercial sheep it represents almost the ideal type of Merino. With 

 sheep of this type there is a chance of maintaining, to say nothing of building 

 up, constitution. There is also a chance of maintaining evenness of length and 

 quality throughout the fleece. This type of sheep also carries a characteristic 

 that adds to its value, viz, a freedom from excessive grease. The wool handles 

 free and soft, and is less liable to accumulate dirt and rubbish. Viewing these 

 two photos side by side throws a good deal of light upon Merino history of the 

 last decade or so, and they tell the following story: 



In the first place the early breeders started off scratch and type was fairly 

 uniform. As the years went on and the breeders brought the results of their 

 experience into operation they gradually divided themselves into two main 

 bodies. One side remained fixed in its idea as to what constituted a commer- 

 cial sheep and a sheep most suited to Australian conditions. It kept to the 

 plain body and the light fleece. The other side steadily set out to improve the 

 weight of fleece. People of this opinion also noted that the tendency of sheep 

 run in the hot interior was to get light and fuzzy on the back, and they con- 

 sidered that more yolk or grease was necessary to counteract this. And so 

 the two factions pursued their different ways, one side sticking to a plain, 

 ordinary -looking sheep, while the other quickly developed a type that could not 

 fail to excite the wonder and admiration even of those opposed to the type. 

 Breeders of this school endeavored to put on weight of fleece, and they found 

 that as they mated for density more folds and wrinkles were produced. It soon 

 came to pass that they found their best stud sheep among the wrinkly ones, 

 and the doctrine spread that weight of fleece could not be maintained, let 

 alone increased, unless there was plenty of "development " in the stud sheep. 

 The leading Merino shows helped to force this doctrine upon the public, and for 

 years the principal prize winners at shows were the most wrinkly sheep. 



The lesson that Australian sheepmen were learning was expedited and 

 eventually brought to its crisis by the enterprise of several wealthy and promi- 

 nent breeders, who imported the densely clad, heavy-yolked Vermont sheep. 

 These sheep set an ideal before sheepmen who favored that type, and the zenith 

 was soon reached. * * * 



While all tbis progress was taking place those breeders who remained firm in 

 their belief in the plain-bodied, free-wooled type of Merino increased their 

 efforts to improve their sheep without departing from those lines. They pre- 

 dicted that a reaction would take place, and they made themselves ready to 

 meet it. The pendulum swung back to the plain-bodied sheep, and in doing 

 so gave such an impetus to the owners of the big, plain-bodied, grass-fed stud 

 flocks that they improved their sheep out of all recognition. Take any of the 

 big stud flocks in Riverina, western New South Wales, and South Australia 

 to-day and It will be seen that the sheep are superior in every way to their 

 best standard of 10 or ir> years ago. The frames have been built up into better 

 symmetry and heavier fleeces have been put on without loading the sheep with 

 additional grease or body wrinkles. The achievement of results In breeding 

 is necessarily a slow process, but Merino history has been made so fast in 

 Australia within the last 10 years that tin- ideal type of sheep has become 

 universally acknowledged. Where 10 years ago there was discord on this 

 Snbjed there Ih now harmony, and all practically agree as to the ideal type. 



