West-Jersey pioneer., 1876-09-21
IMPROVEMENT OF COMMON SHEEP.


A correspondent asks us the following
question: "What is the best cross upon our
common sheep for quality and quantity of
wool, for the general market, and for weight
of carcass ?''
This inquiry can be replied to from SO
many standpoints, that an opinion in favor
of either of the recognized breeds requires
certain explanations. A cross of the long
wool--say Cotswold, Leicester or Lincoln
will insure an increase of carcass to nearly
OF quite double the value of the common
or native, dam. The fleece will have addi-
tional length, considerable improvement in
style, and perceptible increase in weight.
add to it's market value.
A cross of middle wool, say Southdown,
Shropshire, &C., will add greatly to the
quality of the meat, somewhat less, though
considerable, to it's quantity, will thicken
somewhat the fleece, and give it slight ad-
ditional weight, without adding much to
its value per pound.
A cross of the American merino will
make a marked improvement in fleece,
adding to all it's desirable characteristics,
except that of length. The weight, in
many instances, will be doubled, while in
any other than an anomalous condition of
the market, the value per pound will be
somewhat increased The size of carcass
will not be increased, though its compact
ness and symmetry of outline will be great
ly improved.
With the average farmer, the more satis-
factory results will be secured by a cross
with the long wool breed or the fine woods.
The one will show its chief improvement
in the carcass the other in the fleece, though
the merits of neither will be confined to
these prominent characteristics.
As rule, the least satisfactory results
will be derived from cross with the
''Downs" not from any defect in the
breed, per Sc, but rather from less diversity
in size in the one and character of fleece in
the other Sheep from this cross may reas-
onably be expected to withstand the hard
ships, sometimes privations, incident to the
lot of the flock when compelled to work its
living off the average farm, with better re-
suits than would be realized from long
wool cross simply treated-and, for Trough
ing it, would prove nearly equal to the re-
suits of the Merino cross.
In view of these considerations, added to
some minor ones that may be classed as
results of taste rather than experienced as
| general conclusion, we would advise a
| cross of the Merino in preference to the
others referred to-always with the recon-
mendation that the best rams within reach
of the means of the flock owner be used
and that none of the male animals of tbe
cross be used as sires, no matter how near
the desired standard they may approach
! National Lsoe Stock Journal.
| CATHOLICISM IN THE UNITED STATES
| 1t has been difficult hitherto even to approx
innate to the numerical siren 9Th of the Ro-
man Catholic Church in the United States.
At last we find what may be regarded as
an accurate semi official estimate. 1t has
appeared in the Catholic World a monthly
magazine of high tone and character, ably
edited, and issued by the Catholic Publica-
ton Society in New York. From this we
learn that a century back there were not
more than twenty five priests of the Catho-
lie Church in the United States; that in 1900
there were about forty; that the number had
risen to 2S2 in the year 1880, and to 800 in
| 1S48 Further, that in the ten years from
| 1862 to 1872 the number of priests was more
than doubled, having grown from 2,S17 to
4,S09. Finally, that there were in 1876 ac-
| cording to the official statistics of the va
rious diocesses, 5,074 priests 1878 ecclesias-
tical students, and 6,528 Catholic churches
and chapels in the United States. There
also are 33 theological seminaries, So COL
| leges, 557 academies and select schools, L.
615 parochial schools, 214 asylums, and 96
hospitals under the authority and control of
the Catholic hierarchy Of the United States
The number of lay members of the Catholic
| Church in the United States is not given
with any show of authority in any publica-
tion within our knowledge.