Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-10-21
The American Merfno i.

From Rural New Yorker
The American Merino is one of
the triumphs of American brOeders.
the thorough acGlimation and adap.
tatiJn Of the Spanish sheep to our
pc altar circumstances and neoessi
ties is q remarkable ard conspicuous
instance Of successful efforts to
reach desired end. Our native
bred Merino now stands first in the
ranks Of fne-wool sheep in the
world, and is sought by foreign
breeders as source of improve
ments in their focks. La fleece is
the heaviest, tho staple is the long.
est ard rs fine as the finest, and It's
carcass. the heaviest of any living
Meriooes. No other sheep is so
we'll adapted for thu purposes Of a
people who desire strength and
durability as well as beauty in their
dress staples, or as o basis upon
which to build up different cross.
breeds which may be protitabiy
kept upon arabic rs we'll as grazing
farms to supply the best mutton, as
we'll IS every class of raw material
tor our native manufacturers.
The American Merino is a med.
ium-sized sheep, weighing, alive
f-om 100 to $50 pounds. 1t is
squarely built, with deep feDks and
brisket, and is covered with wool in
every part except the tip OF its
nose. IL carries the still favorite
wrinkles in it's skin, although it is
far from being as wrinkled as many
rams of this breed. Merino wool
is peculiar for its heavy yolk and
plentiful grease, but while this is q
necessary and advantageous pecu.
liAriLy for fine and close. wool
sheep and prevents thu cutting Of
the fleece, it is especially valuable
when the rams are used for the i'm.
provement Of the common native
sheep Of the Western States and
Territories, whose heeces are dry.
coarse, harsh and of little value !;
but which, when improved by cross.
ing with the Merlno, are soft. foe
and of staple almost Of equal value
with the wool Of the pure breed.
So in crossing with the long wool
breeds whose feeces are apt TO be
thin aud open on the back, the pure
Merino cross has fleece as long
and as lustrous as that of the par
ens, but it is softer, closer, and gives
better protection to the graded
sheep from storms,
The Introduction of the pure Me-
cino in Texas, Colorado and New
Mexico has doubled the value of
the tlocks there, for no fockmss-
ter can afford to grow native wool
when one cross OF Merino not only
doubles the weight of the fleece,
but doubles the vElus of the sta.
pie. Moreover, the increase in
size in Ihe cross bred wethers has
given them = value as mutton which
the native sheep never had. /. is
not an uncommon thing for a Wes.-
]
as 80 rams in "bunoh," from Yer.
mont or Western New York for use
in his flock on the Westera plains.
Our Merino is 81 home 10 the hills
and valleys Of Vermont aud North.
ern New York Ia me western fields
If Wisconsin nd Michigan on the
rich pTairies Ot Iowa aud the bot
toms OF Ohio; it braves the 'bliz.
yards" of Minnesota, the hot, dry
winds OF Colorado and Kansas aud
the ''uorthers" OF Texas and New
Mexico it thrives everywhere, in
sun aud snow, in valley and noun.
tain and dry plain it is eosmopol-
itao il is American in every sense
OF rs word Ii has also carried it's
COED Qualities into the isr-off isles
u IA ) ushern Ocean aud is vel
comed as a benefactor among the
1oUAl u Australia and New z saland
where it has gained the reputation