514 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



being perfectly plaia-bodied, very vigorous, with an even fleece, the 

 staple of which is 3 to 4 inches long, with white oil well distributed 

 throughout, arid shearing 13 to 20 pounds of Delaine wool to the ram 

 and 7 to 12 jjounds to the ewe, brook-washed. 



In 1885 some skillful and ambitious breeders of Washington County, 

 beUeving that they had made a great improvement on the Black-Top 

 Merino, organized an association known as the Improved Black-Top 

 Merino, and grounded their claims to excellence and merit on what 

 their sheep were at the present " rather than on what they were in the 

 misty past." The high standard of their sheep is largely due to careful 

 and judicious breeding, followed by the vigorous weeding out of all 

 inferior animals. The foundation of this sheep, or rather of the leading 

 flock, was laid by a purchase of 10 ewes by Eobert Johnston of George 

 Craighead in 1844. These ewes were bred to Mr. Craighead's rams 

 until 1847, and from that time until 1853 rams were used from the flock 

 of Alexander McConnell. The foundation of Mr. McConnell's flock was 

 purchased from W. E. Dickinson. Prom 1853 to 1867 rams were used 

 from pure-bred Black-Top flocks, and from 1867 to 1884 these breeding 

 rams were purchased of Matthew Berry. Since 1884 Mr. Johnston has 

 used rams from his own flock. George Black's flock was commenced 

 in 1850 by a purchase of 25 Black-Top ewes of Herman Haines, who 

 bought his foundation of W. E. Dickinson, the sheep of this purchase 

 being bred directly from Humjjhreys sheep. The ewes selected from 

 Mr. Haines's flock were " above the average size of flue- wool sheep in 

 the county, having a good frame, but not long in the legs, and with 

 clean faces — the growth of wool stopping abruptly on the cheeks, with 

 little or no wool below the knee, the wool being soft, crimpy, and white 

 underneath, the outer ends dark and tipped slightly with a tarry-like 

 substance." These ewes were bred for six years to rams from the Wil- 

 liam Berry flock, and afterwards to rams from the flocks of Eobert 

 Manifold, Joseph Willison, Eobert Johnston, and Matthew Berry. 



The improved Black-Top Merino Association began with a registry 

 of nine flocks, aggregating 660 sheep. JSTo flock was eligible to registry 

 that had not been bred pure for thirty years or longer, and an advance 

 was made on the weight of sheep as required by the Delaine Eegistry 

 and the Black-Top. The Delaine Association requires 150 pounds for 

 the rams and 100 pounds for the ewes; the Black-Top Association, 175 

 pounds for the rams and 125 pounds for the ewes, while the Improved 

 Black-Top Association demands a weight of 180 pounds for rams and 

 130 pounds for ewes. 



