The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1879-08-01
NUMBER 10.
The American MerinO.


National agricultural congress-, oc-
ours the following:
The MeriDos constitute the prin-
cipal and characteristic race in the
United States. This is the most
important fact in the enumeration
of our resources for sheep hus-
bandry and the wool manufacture.
England has no Merinos, except in
her colonies; Russia, with 65,0OO,-
600 sheep, has but 1000, 900 Me-
rinOs; France, but 100000. AL
though the numbers in this country
cannot be exactly given, the Me
rinOs aud grades in the United
States probably exceed $4,000, 900.
Merino wool is for clothing what
wheat is for food it is the chief
material for cloth at the present
day, entering into the coarsest AS
well as the finest. While the soft
est, it is the strongest, of all wool
fibres, from the n,mberof filaments
which may be spun in a yarn of a
given diameter. From it's filing
and spinning qualities, or what is
sometimes called its carrying pow
er, it is the best adhesive for the
cheaper tabrics-coarser wool, cot
ton, or shoddy; the mixture Of
Merino wool increasing indefinitely
the materials for cheap clothing!
Abundant Merino wool is the great.
est boon tire world has received
from the animal kingdom in the
last century. 1t is literally, in it's
extended culture, the product OF
the last century. A hundred years
ago all the Merinos in the world,
confined exclusively to Spain, did
not, it is believed, number mif-
lion; 1865 marks the epoch of the
first expectation of the Merinos to
Saxony; 1856, to France ; 1903; to
Australia: 1902. the Introduction
of the first Merino sheep. whose
descendants are known to have
survived, to this country.
The fibre of the Merino sheep is
not the only excellence of the ami
NAL. When properly bred the race
has hardness, or kas the French
call it,) rnsticity, surprising all
other high-b bred races. The S61k
or soap fiat and potash being its
chief eonstituents) which Nature
provides to assist the growth of
the wool Astounding in this race
more than any, causes the tips of
the fleece to be cemented, aud, with
the assistance of the interior yOlk,
causes the feeces to be impenetra
BILE to the rain and SHOWS. A
lighter pasture suffices for their
than would support the
mutton races. Unlike the mutton
sheep, the Merinos herd well !; that
is, keep while travelling or moving
from pasture in compact tiocks;
easily tended by the shepherd or
his dog. They will thrive well in
focks of 1000 to 1,500 head: The
wool IN this race being of more i'm
pOrtance than the mutton; and, be-
ing more easily transported than
any other agricultural com modify,
distance from market is but ii lit
tie impediment to their culture!
This race is, therefore, fitted above
others, for the remote pastoral
lands, and for culture on a large
scale. Another quality of the Me-
rino race is of peculiar value in GER
tain districts. This is the power
which it possesses of imparting its
qualities to inferior races, the male
animals possessing what is called
characteristic of long
established races. a continuous
use of Merino bucks builds up.
lpon a stock of interior ewes. q
flock of fine aud densely-wooled
with marvellous rapidity.
Mexican eve. shearing one pound
If wool, il bred to pure Merino
buck, will produce lamb which,
when one year old, will shear at
east 3 pounds of much finer wool;
md the produce OF this lamb. if
ave aud bred to the Merino, will go
lp to d Or . pounds OF still finer
wool.