The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-05-13
sHEEP-sHEARING FESTIVAL.

~~~~--~-~- -
of this and part of Kalamazoo county, was
held on the Fair Grounds at this pla e, last |
week Thursday. The weather was very |
threatening early in the day, and this doubt
less accuonts for the small attendance, as
farmers have generally attended the meet
ings and consider them valuable for the
means they afford of acquiring more thor
ough knowledge of this, one of the most inn
portant industries of this locality Those
who attended were well provided for and
could ask for no better exhibition of thorough
bred merino sheep than was made. "A reso-
luton at previous meeting 10y II. L. An
derson, requiring all sheep exhibited as
thorough-breds to be accompanied by a
pedigree, was falsely interpreted to exclude
all save thoroughbred merino sheep, which
has kept the sheep which furnish the bulk
of the clip in the background. But it is
healthy testimonial of the advance being
made in this vast industry that the thorough
breds exhibited are as good as can be seen
in any county in the west They come from
the best families of pedigreed sheep in the
east. Such a sheep is w. n. Johnson's
young ram, Atwood, (No. APT of N. Y Regis
ter, bred by Holland Sherman, Treasurer of
N. Y. Sheep Breeders Association. This
ram is years old, weight, with wool on, 14O
u.s., weight of fleece 20 lbs and 10 ounces,
weight of carcass 120 his. This sheep is
well proportional and the wool is of good
quality. Another such sheep is l.. II.
Anderson's ram, Curly, two years old, sired
by Old Genesee" that took the gold medal
at Paris. Mr.. Anderson purchased Curly of
Taylor of Romeo. He is a half brother of
Success, which last named sheep always took
our eye. "Curly" is well built, finely wool
ed ram, well worthy the family of merinos
which he represents.
G. F. Harrington is an excellent breeder
and doing Justice to his branch of high
farming. He had on exhibition 3 yearling
rams and one 3 -year-old ram. The latter called
Nugget" sired by Woods Nugget" is a
fine fellow. Nugget sheared the heaviest
of any sheared, to shear heavy, giving evil
dence of proper care during the winter. The
yearlings were from ram bred by Dean,
of Vermont, and are fine specimen sheep.
This breeder also exhibited some specimens
of large, bright, fine wool taken from breed
ing ewes. From his flock 80 rams have been
distributed through the county this last year
to improve other focks.
Mr.. Rawson showed yearling rams and
G yearling ewes, all sired by Success and
they are all sup to the scratch" The ewes
were all sheared, the heeces weighing from
10 to IL Tbs. each, the carcasses from sc to
SO Tbs. each. The heaviest sheep noted is
Success" weight 156 TBS. eve wanted to
see him sheared.)
BY G. s. McEntee were shown one 2-year.
old ram, one yearling eve, weight 1909 lbs.
which sheared 10 lbs, and one yearline
very fine looking. These are full bloods but
not thorough-breds.
Mr.. Morton and Mr.. Allen, of Kalamazoo
each exhibited fine specimen of well bred
sheep, report of which will be found in the
table below.
Mr. Ed. WEIGH, of Antwerp, was in the
front rank with probably the heaviest shear
ers (see table, on the grounds. His sheep
numbered IL. His 3-year-old ram gave 20
ID. fleece, one 2-year-old 81 H., 8 or
fleece, and one yearling 16 h., o., and
one 2-year-old eve sheared 16 lbs, ii or. OF
good wool. This flock evinces Mr.. WEIGH s
ability and success as sheep breeder, and
bespeaks for him even greater success than he
has achieved thus far. His sheep are notice
able for deep color and fine condition, as
well as for form and wool covering.