The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-09-28
That Big Fleece Again.

We published, few weeks ago, an
item regarding the 62 1-2 pound fleece
taken from French Merino ram in
California. A "Vermonter" thus writes
in the National Liue Stock Journals:
1t would seem that there were some
features of unfairness in your manner
of comparing this fleece with the heav-
lest Vermont fleece, and l will give
some of the items of information fur
nished in regard to the latter not yet
furnished in regard to this 62 12 lbs.
fleece. The heaviest fleece (3S lbs. 5
oz.) yet shorn in Vermont from Yer
mont-bred sheep, under circumstances
that are considered reliable, was taken
from ram six years old, under the
supervision of competent commits
sion appointed by the "Vermont Meri-
no Sheep Shearing association" and
the fleece taken of at publicly adver-
tised shearing, under strict rules that
preclude any chance for misrspresenta-
ton or fraud. The ram has been shorn
in public, at a publicly advertised shear
ing, for five years-in 1888, just 365
days after he was shorn in 1SS2-each
wear, in the first days of April, while
the weather was still cold, and before
an excessive amount of oil has been
developed by the warmer weather
that follows soon after, especially in
warmer climates than that Of Vermont.
The ram is one of the most popular
stock-getters and most extensively
patronized of any in the State, earning
for his owner yearly almost itnot quite,
fifteen hundred dollars, besides serv-
ing large number of ewes in his own
flock; altogether, two hundred and
twenty five ewes, some twenty of them
being returned second time, making
more than two hundred and fifty SER
vices during the year the 80 lbs, BOZ,
fleece was growing. the ram was
very sick, with catarrhal affection, for
some two weeks or more, early in the
fall of the same year. Many who saw
him at this time thought he must die.
lie was fed during the time he was
serving ewes, one pint of oats twice
each day, with about tablespoonful
of wheat and half-pint of bran mixed
with the oats each feed. During the
rest of the winter, the feed was one
pint twice daily of oats and bran, two
thirds oats. Corn, oil meal, or peas
would probably have materially in
creased the weight of fleece, but would
doubtless not have been as healthy for
the ram.
An animal that can command such
patronage and is 80 valuable to his
owner cannot safely be fed and forced
to produce the largest possible amount
of fleece, and therefore he was not
crowded to the utmost for that pur-
pose; he was only literally fed, to
keep him in the most healthy condi-
ton possible to prolong his valuable
life to the utmost limit. All these facts
are well known and fully appreciat-
by this rams owner. Many val
liable sheep have been ruined BY
their owners not approaching these
facts, or from a foolish ambition to ex-
Gel on this one point of many that 90 to
make up first-cass stock ram; for it
is fact that many of the best stock
rams are not the very heaviest shearers
and some of the very heaviest shearers
are not good stock rams. have given
all these facts that the public NAV have
better understanding of this case and
the effect the treatment may have had
NpSh Wv huOiC HccCc
l also give the items in regard to
weight of the fleeces of 1882 and 1888
In 1882 weight of carcass, 14O pounds
fleece, SO pounds 10 ounces; days
growth, 1862; percentage of fleece to
live weight, 25.44. In 1888, live weight
1879 pounds; fleece, SO pounds 5 ounces
days growth, 365 percentage of fleece
27.56.
To make any fair comparison will
these fleeces, the owner of the ram tina
cut the 81 1-2 pound fleece should Civ,
as accurate and as carefully guarded
statistics in relation to the production
sbearing, and weights of fleece and car
cass as are here given. 1t Is admitted
that the fleece was fourteen months
growth; does that mean that il wa
just fourteen, or anywhere from four
teen to fifteen? If just fourteen, it re
duces the fleece one .eventh, or min,
pounds very nearly. This reduces TIN
amount to less than ga pounds for
10. 4