SHEEP AND WOOL IN THE UNITED STATES. BBR 


urged the importation of mutton breeds, which were brought 
in from Canada and England. About 1868 some 
Rambouillet sheep were imported for crossing with the 
American merino. From about this period breeders began 
to work for longer fibre and larger carcase, in the direction 
of mutton and combing wool from the distinctively wool-pro- 
ducing merino. From this have resulted the various Delaine 
merinos, which have received great attention during the last 
thirty years. At the same time combing wool has been 
developed along another line by the increase of pure and 
crossbred English sheep, and east of the Mississippi the 
mutton breeds have gradualiy gained the predominance. 
The first English sheep to invade this district were South- 
downs, Cotswolds, and Leicesters, followed by Dorsets, and 
later by Lincolns. 
For the last thirty years at least there has been a strong 
tendency towards increase of mutton production. Thirty 
years ago more than four-fifths of all the sheep in the coun- 
try were estimated to be either pure-bred or grade merinos. 
Now the mutton breeds predominate in all the older States. 
east of the Rocky Mountains, and even west of the ranges 
there is a considerable percentage of crossbreds. In the 
United States asa whole it is estimated that at least 70, 
possibly 80, per cent. of the flocks are now medium cross- 
bred wools, the remainder being merino or its grades. This. 
substitution of mutton sheep for merinos is an interesting 
feature, and is perhaps best appreciated by a consideration 
of the following figures of the number of mutton sheep. 
received at the principal western markets at different periods. 

Number of Sheep received. 





Market. 7 
1870. | 1$8o. 1890. 1899. 
Chicago - - - ei BAG Oh awn CBG OLO DSCVAS7) || BOeawiew 
Kansas City - - - = | 50,611 535,009 | 953,241 
Omaha - - - - — | — 156,186 | 1,086,319 
Siwomis = 9 =). = 94,477 | . 205,969 358,496 | 432,566 

Here is an increase in thirty years from less than 500,000 
to more than 6,000,000, and over five millions were 
