246 LIVE-STOCK JUDGING 



Wool Sheep 



The fleece was the first animal product to be improved 

 by selection and breeding, and its improvement antedates 

 the era of modern husbandry by centuries. The royal 

 robes of the ancient nobility were woven from wool that 

 would compare favorably with that from our modern 

 flocks. The development of the mutton breeds, on the 

 other hand, was begun less than 200 years ago. Prior to 

 1893 wool growing was one of the most important live- 

 stock industries in this country, and American Merinos 

 were exported in large numbers to Australia, South 

 America and South Africa. Subsequent reduction in the 

 price of wool and an advance in the demand and the price 

 paid for mutton resulted in a reversal of patronage and a 

 great diminution in the fine wool flocks in this country. 



257. Production. — The fleece, originally furnished to 

 the sheep in amount and character sufficient only for its 

 protection, has been increased in quantity and improved 

 in texture until it may actually be a serious burden both 

 to bear on account of its weight and to endure on account 

 of its warmth. 



The annual fleece may constitute as much as one fifth 

 of the sheep's weight, and the total amount of wool pro- 

 duced in the sheep's life may far exceed the weight of its 

 body. 



Sheep are classified, on the basis of fleece, as long wool, 

 middle wool and fine wool. Fleeces of the first two classes 

 are shorn from sheep of mutton form, while the fine wool 

 sheep are devoted to wool production, primarily. 



258. The classification of wool. — Market wool is 

 classified according to the length and strength of its 

 staple and consequently the material into which it can 



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