Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-30
Merino Sheep.


Merino sheep in the United States BY Albert
Chapman.
The flocks Of Merins sheep now own.
ed in the different States are descended
from importations from Spain; first, in
1902, by Col. David Humphreys, about
one hundred, into Connecticut, and In
1910 and ISL by Consul William Jarvis
OF Wethersfeld, Vermont, and others,
of many more, into nearly all the sea
ports OF the United States. These i'm
portations comprised selections from all
the best and most celebrated OF the old
Cabannas or tiocks OF the migratory
sheep OF Spain at the breaking out OF
the French and Spanish wars. At that
time these were the choicest and finest
wool bearing sheep Of the world; they
had been preserved with the greatest
care, and, with few exceptions granted
as royal favors, had not been permitted
to leave Spain. The sheep as imported
from Spain sheared only about Z per
cent OF unwashed wool to live weight
OF carcass; indeed, selected specimens
rarely exceeded that, while the average
yield was much less. At the present
time whole flocks shear more than
twice as much, and the best specimens
from 20 to 30 per cent OF wool. In some
extreme cases there has been 30 per
cent of unwashed wool to live weight OF
carcass, the growth OF one year. Three
selected imported rams, at a public
shearing in 1910, gave a yield OF Z lilo
per cent. OF unwashed wool to the live
weight, while those selected rams shown
in Vermont within five years gave q
Weld OF 81, So and 81 lbs. of unwsshed
wool, that, after thoroughly securing
for the cards, weighed s lbs. 81 ounces,
8 lbs l3 ounces, and 9 lbs. III ounces;
the live weights of carcass OF these three
rams after shearing was los lbs, l2l
los. and l47 lbs. This would give
q $40 per cent. OF snwashed, and
lilo per cent. of cleansed wool TO live
weight; the latter it will be observed is
the same per cent. OF cleansed wool as
was given OF unwashed wool by the
three rams that were imported. Twen-
ty-one rams, from which fieeces or sam
pies we're taken to send to the last Ex-
position at Paris, gave % $40 per cent.
OF unwashed wool to live weight; nine
OF this number, whose live weight av-
eraged 1901 lbs gave an average yield
of a little over 20 lbs. each, or per cent.
Of "a l 10 to live weight of carcass.
These several Merino sheep associa-
tons are doing most useful work by
investigating the histories OF these tlocks
OF sheep, and determining the justice OF
their claims TO De recorded as pure-bred
Merinos descended unmixed from the
importations from Spain. Since this
work has been done, those who would
aish to purchase these sheep have as.
surance that they have in these regis
tiers protection against fraud and impo-
sition; as a consequence, the denUpd
for this blood TO start new fiocks and
improve old ones has greatly increased
and the prices greatly enhanced. Sc
lected ewes sell in manv instances as
high as one hundred dollars each, and
in some cases as high as three hundred,
and in some extreme cases, for very
choice ones, even higher; selected rams
from one hundred to FIVE hundred, and
some superior celebrated rams from one
thousand 10 two thousand dollars. In
the northeastern States, where these
improvements commenced, and where,
favored by great natural advantages,
they have been carried to the greatest
extent vet attained, there has been very
active demand for breeding stock. Dur.
ing the year 1880 over sixty car loads,
containing $685. of these improved Me.
rino sheep, were sent West and South.
west from one railway station in Yer
mont, and smaller numbers from small
er stations in other parts of the State,
though this being the central point OF
shipment in the midst OF the section OF
the State where these fiocks are most
numerous, these car loads probably EN-
brace more than half the number sent
from the State during the year.