APPENDICES. 



APPENDIX A — (page 122.) 



OEIGIIT OF THE IMPEOVED INFANTADOS'. 



To gratify the curiosity of Bome thorough - paced Merino sheep 

 breeders, as well as to illustrate the rapid "march of improvement," 

 when the right animals are bred together, I will present a few facts 

 culled from a large body of notes in my possession, giving full 

 descriptions of the leading animals named in the pedigrees on page 

 131, and in the remainder of Mr. Hammond's flock. 



" Old Black," was bought of S. Atwood, by Mr. Sanford, of Orwell, 

 and was owned and used by him and Mr. Hammond together. He 

 weighed about 135 lbs., and yielded about 14 lbs. of wool. (Unlesa other- 

 wise stated, all fleeces named here will be understood to be unwashed.) He 

 was long, tall, flat-ribbed, rather long in the neck and head, strong-boned, 

 a little roach -backed, deep - chested, moderately wrinkled: his wool 

 was about 1^ inches long, of medium thickness, extremely yolky, and 

 dark colored externally : mce a little bare, and not much wool on shanks. 

 He did not possess a very strong constitution. He proved an admirable 

 sire of ewes, but was not so good for rams. 



" Old Matchless " run well into the blood of Mr. Atwood's lighter 

 colored sub-family, though he himself was darkish colored. (Mr. Atwood 

 had either found two such sub-families in the Humphreys' sheep, or he 

 had gradually created and established them in his flock to attain certain 

 breeding objects ; I think the latter was the case.) He weighed about 

 150 lbs., was a sheep of excellent form, commanding appearance, and 

 strong constitution. He yielded 104 lbs. of wool when a lamb, but his 

 usual fleece afterwards was only 13 or 13 lbs. His fleece was about two 

 inches long, coarsish, of medium thickness, pretty yolky — but thin and 

 short on the belly. He was not well covered on the head, and was bare 

 on the shanks. He got large, strong, but not veij well covered lambs. 

 He was not as good a stock ram as Old Black. He died early. 



"Wooster" weighed about 100 lbs. He was well shaped and 

 compact, with short leM, a short, thick head, and neck of medium 

 length and thickness. He was very heavily wrinkled under the neck, 

 and also at the elbow and tail. His wool was nearly two jnches long, quite 

 thick, very dark and yolky. He was well covered on belly and loretop, 

 and middling well on the face. He yielded 19^ lbs. of wool at two years 

 old. He was an excellent stock getter, and bred extremely well with 



