LESSON TWENTY-THREE 
RACES OF SHEEP 
1. The Merino.—These sheep are of such ancient origin 
that their domestic ancestry has become entirely lost. 
In Spain, the land of their early development and im- 
provement, they were prized for wool rather than for 
butchering. Ancient breeders paid little attention to 
the conformation of their bodies for meat; the produc- 
tion of fine wool was the only thing they cared about. 
When these sheep were first introduced into the United 
States early in the nineteenth century, it was for the 
purpose of improving our wool-growing industry and 
not our mutton supply. American breeders, however, 
did not undervalue a good carcass, and in time greatly 
changed the type, improved the carcass and made the 
wool longer and finer. The American Merino is the 
result. 
The Delaine is one variety of this highly esteemed breed. These 
sheep are larger, possess a better mutton form, carry a longer fleece 
MERINO RAM AND EWE 
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