The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-04-30
THEE WILD SHEEP OF CAH-
IFORNWA.

The California species (ocis mon
tdnd) is a noble animal, weighing
when fully grown some $50 pounds,
and is well worthy the attention OF
wool growers as point from which
to make = new departure. That it
will breed with the domestic sheep
| have not the slightest doubt, and
/ cordially recommend the expert
ment to the various wool growers
associations as Ole of great nation
al importance. The clothing of our
wild sheep is composed OF fine
wool and coarse hair. The hairs
are from about two to four inches
long, mostly of O dull blush gray
color, though varying somewhat
with the seasons. In general char
acteristics they are closely related
TO the hairs of the deer and ante
lope, being light, spongy, and elas-
tic, with highly polished surface ;
and though somewhat ridged and
spiraled, like wool, they do not
manifest the slightest tendency to
felt or become taggy. A hair TWO
and q half inches long, which is
perhaps near the average length,
W III olAONNA 0OO4L O1C~AOuLlAl VI al
inch without breaking. The num-
Der of hairs growing upon q square
inch is about 10000; the number of
wool fbcrs is about $4,000, or two
and o half times that of the hairs.
The wool fibers are white and CLOS
sy, and beautifully spiraled into
ringlets. The average length of the
staple is about an inch and q half.
A fiber of this length, when grow
Ing undisturbed among the hairs,
measures about an inch; hence the
degree of curliness may be easily
inferred.
Wild wool is too fine to stand by
itself, the fibers being about as frail
and invisible IS the floating threads
of spiders, while the hairs against
which they lean stand erect like
hazel wands; but Notwithstanding
their great dissimilarity in size and
appearance, the wool aud hair are
forms of the same thing, modified
in just that way and to Just that de-
gree that renders them most perfect
ly subseryient to the well-being of
the sheep. Furthermore, IL will be
observed that these wild modifica-
tions are entirely distinct from
those which are brought by chance
into existence, through the accidents
and caprices of culture.
It il now some 5000 years since
Jacob kissed his mother and set out
across the plains of Padan-aram to
begin his experiments upon the
flOcks of his uncle, Laban; and,
Notwithstanding the high degree of
excellence he attained as q wool
grower, and the innumerable pains
taking efforts subsequently made by
individuals and associations in all
kinds of pastures and climates, we
still seem to be as far from definite
and satisfactory results as we ever
were. In one breed the wool is apt
TO wither and crinkle like hay on q
sun-beaten hillside. In another, it
is lodged and matted together like
the lush-tangled grass of manfred
meadow. In one the staple Is de-
ticient in length, in another in fine
ness; while in all there is a con.
slant tendency toward disease,
rendering various washings and
clippings indispensable to prevent
its falling out. The problem of the
oA0 AuohbANy Va NAO NaA OcAoS
seems TO be as doubtful and as far
removed from a satisfactory solu-
ton as that of the wool.
The source or sources whence the
various breeds were derived is not
positively known, but there can be
hardly any doubt of their being de-
scendants of the four or five wild
species so generally distributed
throughout the mountainous por-
tons of the globe, the marked diff
ferences between the wild and do
mestic species being readily ac-
counted for by the known variable
ty of the animal. No other animal
seems to yield so submissively to
the manipulations of culture. ia
cob controlled the color of his flocks
merely by causing them to stare at
objects of the desired hue and pos
sibly merinoes may have caught
their wrinkles from the perplexed
brows of their leaders.-John Muir
in the Overland Monthly.