168 Western Live-stock Management 



extremely rigid. The Corriedale is very similar to the 

 Lincoln-Merino cross which is so common on our ranges, 

 with the addition that they breed reasonably true. Pure- 

 bred Corriedale ewes are out of the question for range 

 purposes, but if cross-bred ewes are carefully selected 

 and mated to good Corriedale rams, the offspring will be 

 as profitable as the ordinary half-bred and much of the 

 same type. By moderate but careful culling and the 

 continued use of Corriedale rams, the type of the ewe 

 flock should become well established in a few years. This 

 system has not been tried on an extensive scale in this 

 country, but it has proven very successful in New Zea- 

 land. The great difficulty is in securing Corriedale rams. 

 Being a comparatively new breed, rams are not numerous, 

 and those available require close culling. 



THE PANAMA 



The Panama breed of sheep was developed in America 

 from a cross-bred origin somewhat the same as the Corrie- 

 dale. The type of this breed is not well fixed as yet, but 

 with years of breeding, involving careful selection and cull- 

 ing, it will undoubtedly be a factor in western sheep- 

 breeding. 



SYSTEMATIC CROSS-BREEDING 



In view of the relative scarcity of sheep of these new 

 breeds that possess the type really desired by the range- 

 men, it seems necessary to continue some form of cross- 

 breeding. Although cross-breeding always has its faults 

 and its difficulties, it has been demonstrated that there 

 are better methods than the indiscriminate mixing 

 commonly followed on the range. The best system of 

 cross-breeding yet de\'ised is illustrated by the diagram 



