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SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



On May 9, 10, and 11, 1865, a State sheep fair was held at Canan- 

 daigua, at which many sheep were sheared. The heaviest ram fleece 

 was 29 pounds 2 ounces, from an animal weighing 121 pounds; the 

 heaviest ewe fleece was 18 pounds 9 ounces, from an 8-year-old animal 

 weighing 95 pounds. In this same year the New York State Sheep 

 Breeders' Association offered prizes for the heaviest scoured ram's and 

 ewe's fleeces in proportion to their time of growth and weight of car- 

 cass. The results, excluding the ram fleeces below 5^ and the ewe 

 fleeces below 4J pounds, were : 



Some fleeces scoured by private parties showed heavier than any 

 here given, one owned by Josiah Taft scouring 8 pounds from a fleece of 

 30 pounds. This was from the stock ram Osceola, the first New York 

 ram that sheared 30 pounds, or a scoured fleece of 8 pounds. 



In 1866 the Pottle and Oossitt prizes of the New York State Sheep 

 Breeders' and Wool Growers' Association were ofl'ered for scoured 

 fleeces of greatest weight and value in proportion to time of growth, 

 without regard to weight of carcass. The fleeces were scoured by an 

 officer of the Syracuse Woolen Manufactory Company. Eam fleeces 

 under 5 pounds and ewe fleeces under 4J, after scouring, are omitted in 

 this list. 



In 1867 the Pottle and Cossitt prizes were again offered, and but one 

 sheep competed; that one a ewe, whose weight of carcass was not given. 

 She sheared a fleece of one year's growth weighing 16 pounds 3 ounces, 

 which, when scoured, gave 6 pounds 4J ounces. The Moore and WUcox 

 prizes were offered for the heaviest ram's and ewe's fleeces, in propor- 



