14 BULLETIN 313, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
It should also be mentioned that the most highly esteemed Austra- 
lian rams have an “ open ” face in contrast to the heavily wooled face 
demanded by American breeders. Covering of wool on the legs is 
desired, but only as a minor point. 
The type of sheep so popular for the drier, warmer sections with 
scattered feed might not prove to be fully adapted for our western 
States, but there is food for much thought in the Australian’s severe 
criticism of wrinkles, fine wool, heavy oil, and thin skin. Aside from 
the influence upon wool growth of extreme warmth and dryness, it 
must also be granted that our winters prevent us from producing the 
length of wool and the uniformity in quality, appearance, and char- 
acter possible under conditions occasioning no such checks.. When 
running at liberty in paddocks, even en a light, dry soil, there is not 
the same amount of dirt in the fleece that is unavoidable under a 
system of continuous herding and several nights’ use of, and daily 
driving to and from, a single bedding ground. 
The demand of the American buyer in Australia for a light-shrink- 
ing wool has no doubt lent an added stimulus to progress in that 
country, but such progress even if altogether so promoted is none the 
less worthy of the attention of our sheep breeders and woolgrowers. 
MUTTON POINTS OF AUSTRALIAN MERINOS. 
Although frequent mention is made of the value of the carcass in 
discussions of the recently evolved Australian Merino, that sheep does 
not seem to be the superior of the American Merino in either size or 
points of mutton conformation. In both regards it is inferior to the 
Rambouillet as bred in the United States. The Rambouillet is little 
known or understood in Australia. There appears to have been some 
use made of an earlier type of the breed by the Peppyns, whose sheep 
in other hands have contributed largely to the advance of recent 
years. 
SALES OF STUD RAMS. 
Many very large and very valuable stud flocks are maintained. A 
few of these contain upward of 60,000 ewes, and one flock has sold as 
high as $260,000 worth of rams in a single season, at an average price 
of $30. At the 1914 annual ram sale held in Sydney, 268 Merino 
rams were sold, at an average price of $437, while over 2,500 other 
rams brought an average of $38. With a demand for flock rams in 
lots of 100 and more, at $20 per head, the stud sheep business is 
attractive to competent breeders and justifies paying two or three 
thousand dollars for a sire, as is commonly done. Over $7,000 has 
been given for single rams on several occasions. Such prices are not 
known in America, although breeders are not wanting whose sheep 
are capable of effecting an improvement upon general flocks similar 
