126 CEOSS-BEEEDING. 



made to give way with diflSiculty, and its tendency to breed 

 back is almost unconquerable. But if the Merino fuses with 

 reluctance, it absorbs other breeds with rapidity. A cross 

 between it and a coarse breed is always legitimate and 

 successful, where the object is to merge that coarse breed 

 entirely in the Merino. This is accomplished by putting the 

 ewes of such breed, and every new generation of their cross- 

 bred descendants, steadily to pure blood Merino rams. 



Many grade flocks were commenced in this way, a few 

 years since, in the Southern States, and particularly in 

 Texas, — not a few of them under my advice, and to some 

 extent under my direction. The pasture lands in those 

 regions were limitless and their market value only nominal. 

 They were generally yielding no returns to their owners. If 

 they could be stocked speedily with any kind of sheep, the 

 gain would be immense. But wool would be the main object, 

 as there was little or no market for mutton. To stock such 

 large tracts with pure blood Merinos was out of the question, 

 both on the score of expense, and because they could not be 

 obtained rapidly enough at any cost. I therefore counseled 

 the purchase of the common ewes of the country where there 

 were any, and where there were none, those most readily to 

 be obtained, — even though, as it often happened in Western 

 Texas, none could be obtained better than the small, coarse, 

 thin - wooled, miserable Mexican ewes. These and their 

 progeny being bred steadily to Merino rams, the result was 

 m every instance a decided success. The first generation of 

 cross-breeds, even from Mexican sheep, were signally improved 

 in weight and quality of wool, and when from a mediocre 

 Merino ram, would sell for more than twice the price of their 

 dams ; and each ascending grade toward the Merino continued 

 to increase steadily in value.* 



* George W. Kendall, Esq., by far the largest and most experienced wool grower 

 In Texas, who started a portion of his flock with Mexican ewes, in a letter puDlished 

 in the Texas Almanac, 1858, says : 



" The produce of the old Mexican ewes gave evident si^ns of great improvement, 

 not only in form and apparent vigor of constitution, but particularly in the quantity and 

 quality of the wool. Here I miglit state that a Mexican ewe, shearing one pound of 

 coarse wool, if bred to a Merino buck of pure and approved good blood, will produce 

 a lamb, wliich, when one year old, will shear at least three pounds of much finer wool; 

 and the produce of this lamb, again, if a ewe, will go up to four and a half or five 

 pounds of still finer wool, I can now show wethers in my flock of the third remove 

 from the ori^nal coarse Mexican stock wliicli last May sheared seven pounds of wool- 

 unwashed. It is true, but of exceeding fine quality, and worth 30 cents per pound at this 

 time in New York, or $3.10 for the fleece. This is a rapid improvement. Had the old ewe 

 and her produce been bred constantly to Mexican bucks, the wether would have sheared 

 about 35 cents worth of coarse wool— not more than 40 cents worth at the outside." 

 (These ficts farther show the nonsense of the half-and-half theory of propaga- 

 tion I) 



