SHBEP HUSBANDRY. 



363 



A DISTINGUISHED MERINO RAM. 



This ram Perfection is the property of W. B. Sanger. On August 

 17th, as a two-tooth he cut eighteen pounds of wool. Last year the av- 

 erage fleece of the flock, breeding extra, and double was fourteen 

 pounds and one ounce. 



The sire of perfection was Superb III. This noble sheep was pur- 

 chased at the disposal of Hay & Markham's Vermont flock. 



The great feature of Superb III is the evenness with which he is cov- 

 ered from nose to toes with a dense and bright fleece of good character 

 and staple, and this is transmitted to his progeny. 



The American Merino. This breed is a descendant of the Span- 

 ish Merino, and is less than a century old. It has at the present time 

 come to be the foremost sheep of this class in the world. J. R. Graham 

 an .extensive sheep raiser on Murray River, Australia, in a report to the 

 government, gave testimony as follows: "Of all imported sheep, those 

 of our first cousins, the Americans are the best. The best rams import- 

 ed into Melbourne of late years were Americans." 



In 1809 sheep were selling for a dollar per head, but it soon became 

 known that by importation we had gotten the very best sheep in the 

 world. This knowledge started a fever speculation, which together 

 with the war of 18 12 caused wool to advance in price to $2.50 per pound. 



