FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 161 
is nothing specially defective inthe shape? Are there 
not little shapeless breeds of mountain sheep in Wales 
whose mutton outsells that of the South Down? Are 
there not little, hardy, round, mountain cattle in Scot- 
land whose beef is chosen before that of the rectangu- 
lar Short Horn? These refinements are very well in 
theory and doubtless of some practical value, but they 
are not, in our markets, essential to the salableness of 
mutton, which the great body of the American people 
already prefer to that of the improved English long- 
wooled breeds, and constantly eat, believing it to be 
South Down mutton or other of equal quality. 
The only change which is necessary or desirable to 
make in the form of the Merino, to improve it as a 
mutton sheep, is the same which it requires to im- 
prove it as a wool bearing sheep, viz.: to convert the 
flocks which now deviate from that standard, into 
low, round, hardy, easily kept sheep. Good lungs, 
good health, and good animal vigor will like promote 
the secretions which produce meat and wool. And 
in the wool-growing regions generally, I should not 
even consider it expedient to seek to Increase the 
present size of what may be termed good sized Amer- 
ican Merinos. 
The wethers may at some future day be turned 
off at two years old, under a system of feeding analo- 
gous to the English, but it is doubtful whether this 
will be found most profitable. Prime full blood ewes 
will probably never be turned off before they are six 
or seven ; indeed, until their number is enormously 
increased, they never will be turned off at any age to 
the butcher. They have twice or three times the 
longevity of the improved English breeds, in which 
