Gloucester County Democrat., 1879-01-14
eAgrifuHnre.
Characteristics of American Sheep
= w ISIS Husbandry.

Cnaracterl6tlcs OF American Sheep
.ttW tt Husbandry.
Dr., Hayes, in his recent address be-
fore the National Agricultural Con-
gress, remarking that very inadequate
idea is given of a nations resources by
the number of sheep raised-the char
acter of the animals being of the first
consideration-proceeds to show some
of the characteristics of American
sheep husbandry. He states that the
sheep Of the United States consists,
first, OF what are called native sheep;
second, descendants from improved
English races; third, the Mexican sheep
found in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado
and California; fourth, the merino sheep
and crosses of that breed with the
preceding races. The merinos consti-
tute the principle and characteristic
race of the United States; and this is
the most important fact in the enumer-
alton OF our resources for sheep hus-
bandry and the wool manufacture.
England has no merinos, except in her
colonies; Russia has but 12, 600, 900
merinos; France but 100000. The
merinos and grades in the United
States exceed 25, 100000 Merino wool
is for clothing what wheat is for food;
it is the chief material for cloth at the
present day, the c3arsest as we'll as the
finest While the softest. it is the
strongest of all fibers. From its fulling
and spinning qualities, it is the best
adhesive for the cheap fabrics-coarser
wool, cotton or shoddy; the mixture of
merino wool increasing indefinitely the
material for cheap clothing. An abun-
dance of merino wool is the greatest
boon the world has received from the
animal kingdom in the last century.
Its, in fact, in its extended culture the
product Of the last century. A century
ago all the merinos in the world, con-
fined exclusively to Spain, did not num-
Der 1000, 900. 1765 marks the epoch
OF the first expectation of the merinos
to Saxeny; 1786, to France; 1888, to
Australia; 1902, the introduction of the
first merino sheep to this country; and
to Gen. Humphreys, Of Connecticut,
and to the introduction to his farm of
twenty-one rams and seventy ewes, may
be directly traced the most celebrated
breeds of the American merino; pro-
ducing individuals actually sold for
$4,000 each, Others for 50, 900 to So, 900
and one for which SIC, 900 was refused.
The fiber of the merino sheep is not the
only excellence of the animal; when
properly bred, this race has a hardness
surprising all other high-bred races.
The ''yolk," provided by nature to
assist IN the growth of the wool,
abounding in this race, more than
IN any other, causes the tips of the
fleece to be cemented, and to be-
come inpenetrable to rains and SHOWS.
a lighter pasture suffices for their main
tenanee than would support the mutton
races. This race is fitted, above all
others, for the remote pastoral lands,
and for culture on a large scale.
Our breeders, in aiming to increase
the weight of their fleece, have de-
veloped the length of the staple, and
have unconsciously created a merino
comblng wool-a wool in special de-
mand through modern improvements
IN machinery and changes in the
fashion of goods. M. Ferneau, IAN
eminent Belgian wool manufacturer.
who has thoroughly studied our wool
resources and manufactures, says that
three-quarters ofth American wool is
''combing wool, - and will be ultimately
employed for this purpose. The bulk
OF American merino woods is of strong,
sound and healthy staple, having few
weak spots in them. Those from the
other States Of the West are free from
burrs. Those from California have
this defect in high degree. They are
admirably fitted for blankets, fannels,
and fancy cassimeres, and the great
bulk OF our card wool manufactures.
They are so excellent, as whole, that
NJ Ferneau says they are too valuable
to be used for clothing purposes. They
supply nine-tenths of all the card or
clothing wool consumed in American
mills.