The Improvement of the Flock 161 



breeds of sheep is justifiable or necessary only in 

 breeding for the market. While it is true that cross- 

 ing was practiced in forming existing breeds, it was 

 practically always the object to impart some charac- 

 ters of an established breed to stock that had not 

 been previously improved. Present-day use of 

 cross-bred sheep for breeding purposes would be 

 necessary only in cases where it is impossible to 

 procure a breed of the kind needed. To some extent 

 this is true of western state ranges, where cross- 

 bred ewes are quite largely used for breeding pur- 

 poses. It is by no means agreed by all range breeders 

 that crossing is necessary, but it is true that, aside 

 from the Merino, they have no breed that is the 

 product of similar conditions. The crossing that is 

 practiced necessitates extra expense in purchasing 

 ewes at intervals and makes steady improvement 

 impossible. Ewes of Merino blood that are to be 

 discarded on account of age are sometimes bred 

 to rams of the mutton breeds. The ewes with their 

 cross-bred lambs are more salable to feeders and 

 for mutton, the lambs of both sexes being marketed 

 and the breeding flock kept pure. In parts of Eng- 

 land and Scotland, the hill and mountain breeds are 

 crossed with rams of the lower country breeds. 

 This is done in order to secure lambs that are more 

 suitable for the feeders than those of the pure native 

 breed. The ewe flocks are kept pure. This is 

 necessary because of their adaptability to the 



