518 



SHEEP INDUSTEY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Scale of points. 



(1) Blood — tracing througli some of the best flocks to imported stock, and tlie 



wool must grade XXX or above 1 



(2) Constitution — indicated by general appearance 15 



(3) Size 10 



(4) Body— well proportioned and free from wrinkles 12 



(5) Head 5 



(6) Neck— short, well set, only slight dewla^i 5 



(7) Legs and feet — legs short and heavy boned , 5 



(8) Evenness of fleece — well covered on belly, face, and legs 15 



(9) Density of fleece 12 



(10) Length of staple and fine crimp 10 



(11) Oil — wool opening white 10 



Perfection 100 



There is not at the present day that demand for the superior wool of 

 the Saxony sheep that renders the multiplication of flocks profitable, 

 but it is believed if larger flocks were formed and a specialty made of 

 superfine wool production of tlie highest excellence, buyers would be 

 attracted, competition engendered, aud the value of each clip enhanced. 

 As it is, liowever, the Saxonies are on the decline, their breeders are 

 gradually losing interest in them and quitting them for the medium 

 wools. 



And yet, notwithstanding times of depression when low prices of 

 wool were discouraging, the Washington County farmers have kept up 

 their flocks better than in any other section of the country, increased 

 and improved them. In 1825 there were 110,000 sheep; in 1836, about 

 225,000. The number of sheep and pounds of wool for the years 1800, 

 1870, and 1880 are thus given by the United States census: 



The increase iu the weiglit of fleece from 1860 to 1870 was caused by 

 the general substiiution of the Spanish Merino in place of the Saxony. 

 From 1870 to 1880, great care in selecting breeding stock takes credit 

 for the increase of nearly 1 pound per fleece. The number of sheep for 

 1890 and the amount of wool is not at this writing available, but careful 

 estimates from several sources indicate an average of over 6 pounds 

 per head. And the decade from 1880 to 1890 has not been without its 

 drawbacks. The tariff of 1883 was discouraging to the wool-grower; 

 many flocks were sent out of the county in 1885, some of them across 

 the Missouri Eiver, and many were sacrificed to the butcher. It is esti- 

 mated that the loss this one year in the county, on wool alone, was 



