78 Sheep-Farming 



during that time made remarkable progress by care- 

 ful selection and judicious management without 

 any assistance from an outcross. As indicative of 

 the remarkable improvement which EUmann made, 

 we are told that in 1786 he was only able to get 

 $4.38 a head for 80 ewes, but in 1800 he sold 

 200 ewes for $12.50 per head. In 1787 he sold a 

 ram for $50, but in 1800 he obtained $1500 for the 

 use of a ram for two seasons. The reputation of his 

 flock became worldwide, and in 1798 the Emperor 

 of Russia bought, at the cost of 300 guineas, two 

 rams from Mr. EUmann to improve the flavor and 

 quality of northern mutton. In referring to the 

 aim of John EUmann as a breeder, his son makes 

 the following statement: "In several points my 

 father's aim differed from that of his distinguished 

 contemporary, Bakewell, the founder of the im- 

 proved Leicester. It was Bakewell's idea to obtain 

 the maximum of mutton with the minimum of bone. 

 He disregarded wool in comparison with mutton and 

 was the advocate of rapid development. My father, 

 on the other hand, objected to forcing the young stock 

 and was anxious to maintain strength of consti- 

 tution, and then at the outset he was driven to a little 

 inbreeding from the difficulty of obtaining good 

 animals from others, yet as his improvement ad- 

 vanced he acted likewise." It is generally under- 

 stood that EUmann's success was due to close selec- 

 tion. An authority makes the following statement : 



