1884 .] AMEEK ^ A;A AG EiC ULT U El ST. 53 
THE NOTED HEAD OF A NOTED FLOCK. 
Drawn (b;/ o. -1. S. Monks/ and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
American Merino Sheep. 
When the first prizes for Merino sheep were 
awarded to American Merinos at the International 
Exposition at Hamburg, about twenty years ago, all 
Europe was astonished. The Yankee sheep took 
the prizes over the best flocks of Europe, and they 
could not understand it. After the first surprise 
was over, the European sheep-growers, at the close 
of the exhibition, did the best possible tiling— 
they purchased the American Merinos, or “ Ver¬ 
mont Merinos,” as they were generally called, for 
the improvement of their own flocks, at what was 
then an unusual price.—The American Merinos arc 
the result of several importations, made early in 
the present century from Spain, and included 
animals from the Paular, Infantado, Negretti, and 
other celebrated flocks, regarded as the finest in 
Spain. Of these early importations, some were 
lost sight of, or “ run out,” through careless 
breeding. Others were bred with great care, and 
by crossing with other pure flocks, under our 
climate and with no doubt better feeding, they 
gradually developed, perhaps unintentionally on 
the part of the breeders, into a distinct family of 
Merinos now known as American. The superiori¬ 
ty of the American over the best European families 
of Merinos is shown, in the first place, in its ■ 
greater size and weight. While the rams of the 
most noted of the Spanish flocks range from sixty 
to one hundred pounds—this last a weight rarely 
reached—the American Merino rams run to one 
hundred and twenty pounds, and upwards to one 
hundred and eighty pounds. These large weights 
are accompanied by shorter neck and legs, an in- 1 
! creased width of loin and, what is most important, ( 
a great increase in the weight of fleece. Some 
flocks have averaged ten pounds of washed w’ool, 
and individual rams have greatly exceeded this 
weight. The American Alerino is marked by 
strong folds and wrinkles, and some flocks have 
been bred with a view to these. It is a common 
impression that excessive wrinkles indicate purity 
of breed and fineness of W'ool, and breeders have 
endeavored to meet the prevailing taste for heavily 
wrinkled sheep. Those who look to the best re¬ 
turns in wool do not approve of excessive wrinkles, 
as they increase the difiiculty and the cost of 
shearing. Breeders differ as to the amount of yolk 
desirable in the wool, and this is sometimes exces¬ 
sive. Fashion has much to do Avith both yolk and 
wrinkles; the present tendency is to reduce the 
amount of both. The American have been found 
to be superior to any of the European Merinos 
j for improving the flocks of Australia. A few 
j months ago an Australian flock-master who called 
upon us, said that the sole object of his visit to 
this country was to purchase American Merino 
I rams. He attributed the great improvement which 
I has lately been manifested in Austraiian sheep, to 
I the introduction of American Merinos. We notice 
that English Agricultural winters speak of the im¬ 
provement in Austraiian sheep by the introduction 
of Merino rams, but they fail to state that it is 
due to the American rams. In sheep-raising, as in 
many other branches of agriculture, Australians 
and New Zealanders look to America for aid and 
improvement, rather than to the mother country. 
The above engraving represents one of the best of 
American Merino rams, the sire of a noble stock. 
of wliich hundreds have been sold at large prices to 
sheep breeders, who desire to improve their flocks 
in our own country and in foreign countries. 
Home Made Half Bushel Measure. 
Mr. “ C. M. R.,” Aibia, Iowa,writes us as follows ; 
I was often in want of a half-bushel measure, un¬ 
til Anally I took a soap-box brought home from' 
the grocers. I carefully knocked the sides and 
bottom loose from one end, and moved this end in 
to make the box about eleven by twelve inches. 
Then borrowing a standard half bushel measure, I 
filled the box with oats, level full, and marked 
around the inside, and shaved the box down to this 
mark. I put a strip one inch and a half wide 
across each end outside to serve as handle’s, and 
strengthened the corners with hoop iron well nailed 
on. This makes a good, serviceable measure, is 
easily and quickly made, will last for years, and 
costs nothing. [Oats are not good material tO' 
measure with, as they pack more or less according 
to mode of filling, etc. Sand or wheat would be 
: better. But it is easy and more accurate to work 
; by measure. The length, breadth, and bight 
I inside, multiplied together should equal one-half of 
i 2,1.50 2-5, which is the number of cubic inches in a 
i standard bushel. If you have the width and liight, 
for example, multiply them together, and with 
double the product divide 2150 and the result will 
be the length required. Thus, a box ten by ten 
inches needs to be ten and three quarter inches high 
to hold lialf a bushel—2150-^10 x 10 x 2=10.75. Ens.Jl 
