Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1878-01-03
LIY { STOCK.
BREEDS OF SHEEP.

in a recent issue of the Rusbandman
On reading the remarks made at your
last meeting about the best Kind of sheep to
keep for profit, | noticed the Merino sheep
were not mentioned, and as they are my ia
vorites | venture to say a word for them. /
have bred them for many years, and have
also had some experience with the Leices-
ter, Soutlidown and Cotswold sheep. Sheep
eat or consume food in proportion to their
size or weight without regard to breed and
| estimate that eight sheep of the Spanish
Melino consume about the same amount OF
food as a common size COW, and their weight
is about 100 pounds each for 4 good. flock
when at mature age. The full blood South
downs are about the same weight in the
same flesh. The Cotswold and Leicester
sheep are larger. The usual average of Il
good flock is about 1873 pounds each. and,
therefore, six sheep will consume about the
same as eight Merinos or Southdowns.
Farmers do not consider this. 1t is we'll
Known, too, that the Spanish Merinos yield
more and finer wool than any other sheep,
and this grade OF wool sold before the war
at about onc-third more per pound thar any
either. But the war created IL demand tor
cheap coarse clothing for army use, and the
coarse wool sold as high as fine for many
years, and there is not the difference now
that there was before the war. Merino
wool sold last summer at one-fourth above
Cotswold or Leicester wool. / AM speak
ing of fun bloodS 81 these breeds and there
are very few of the coarse wooded breeds in
this country, While the Merinos are much
more plenty. And when we consider the
quality of the mutton, | believe the Mcrino
is the best, it is finer grained, tenderer an..
sweeter meat if properly dressed. 1t is
more difficult to dress, and keep the wool
from the meat while dressing as these sheep
are so much more woody about the legs and
skirts, and if the wool is allowed to rub the
meat, it makes any mutton strong.
But the breed makes. no difference in sell
ing. | have sold a great many in New York
and in different country markets, and butch
ers always choose by fatness and size with
out regard to breed. II sold by the pound
the Merinos have the preference as the pelts
are worth more proportionately; but if you
cross them with the Cotswold you have
heavier sheep without lessening the weight
of the wool much and have also hardy
sheep; and perhaps the wool will sell for
nearly or quite as much In the market as
Merinos wool. A cross with Merino and
Southdownsis good for mutton, but you
have u lighter fleece, as the Southdown has
very light wool. | am speaking of full
bloods, not what arc called Southaowns
commonly through the country, which are
improves them and increases their wool one
third or more or more in weight and quail
fy. / doubt if there is a full blood South
down sheep in this or any county adjoining,
and there are very few Cotswolds or Leices-
ter, and perhaps not one. Why is this 50?
Because they do not satisfy the farmer, so
they cross them with tue Merino to get Il
better fleece but you will find many full
FLOODED Merino sheep all through the coun-
~, which speaks something in their favor.
TO get a good profitable flock for amy farm
er to keep. "A MEMBER oFNTHE CLUE.
The cross of Merinos with Cotswolds is In
some respects better for the common farm
er than either kind purely bred. At. the (
late State tair. Joseph Harris, Il breeder Of
OF Corswolds, had sheep ON exhibition, |
both the pure bred and the crosses. | saw
what | regarded as an Instructive exhibi- |
ton, a lamb. the first cross OF Il Meriiio eve u
and a Cotswold buck, and the second cross
81, ti.t ;.,,x,L .,,lt,,r tina, ,a II. t,n,, ..,,n, 4