The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-02-02
THE SHEEP INTEREST.
Hairy sheep Among MerlnOs.

The following letter, from the Breed
ers Gazette, gives some good ideas on
climatic influences on wool production /:
We have every reason to believe that
the original coat of our domesticated
sheep was hair, with an undertaking OF
wool or a sort of down. The other three
known species of the same family-the
Argalia, the Moutilon, and the American
Big-horn or Mountain sheep, by some
writers supposed to be variety OF the
Asiatic Argali-show hairy coat in
summer, and hair and wool intermixed,
or wool as underlayer, in winter. We
find the same class of coverings also on
animals not belonging to the oris family !;
for instance on the rabbit, hare, the
European stag, the wapite, ETC., which
clearly shows that this class Of covering
Chair and woody is nothing uncommon in
nature.
Wool, as we find 1t now on our sheep,
is undoubtedly the product of care and
climate; and the class of wool depends
mainly upon the kind of nourishment,
water, care and climate. think it very
probable that the ancient, or, l might
say, the prehistoric races (because the do
mestlcation of the sheep dates back to a
very remote age), then already engaged
in the sheep raising business, soon found
out that wool was more useful than hair,
and most likely tried to increase the
amount of wool, favored IN their
endeavor by their mode of living with
their focks. because 1t is well known
that they travelled with their flocks
till midsummer from south to north,
and till mid-winter from the north
to south. We learn from all the ancient
authors that the greatest care was be-
slowed on the coat Of the sheep, I'M
doubtedly in part with the object to
reduce the hair and to increase and refine
the wool.
That wool, with neglect, exposure and
hard pasture, will turn into hair, | have
not the slightest doubt, because L have
convinced myself personally of this fact,
which, it may be said, is another PROOF
(if it wants such) that the original coat
of the sheep was hair.
Sheep were imported into South Amer
lea (Argentne Republic) very shortly
after its discovery by Don Pedro de
Mendoza. who brought with him sixteen
cows and two bulls. thirty-two mares
and stations, twenty goats, forty-siX
sheep and rams, and sixteen dogs
These sheep were undoubtedly of the
not of the Merino race, as some or our
modern writer's on sheep say.
Hairy lambs are born frequent y in the
purest Merino fiocks, but are generally
killed, out of ignorance or because they
do not suit the purposes of the breeder.
have observed that hairy lambs mostly
are born in the strong Negrete flock of
the North of Germany and in French
Rambouillet flocks; meanwhile l have
never heard of any hairy lambs born in
the highly refined Electoral focks, as.
for instance. in the Acclaim flock in
Wurtemburg, OF Samtleben in Bruins
wick, perhaps the two finest flocks in ex-
istence, Cat least so they were some
thirty years ago.
Ranbouillet and Negrete originally
came from the same stock in Spain
CNegrete and Paular stock). and / do not
think it strange or a freak of nature, as
shall try to show further on, that hairy
lamb, the originator of the Maucamp
breed. was born in Rambouillet Merino
flock, and only think we have to give
credit to Mr.. GrauX for the perseverance
which he showed in fixing this valuable
breed, the Mauchamp.
Ny personal experience with the Maui
champ breed is not very satisfactory,
and, after what l have observed and ex-
perienced, rather think that it is. or at
least was at that time, not very fixed
breed; that is to say, the animals lacked
the power to transmit their peculiar
qualities.
In dealing with hairy sheep among
Mcrinos, and in trying to demonstrate
that the birth of a hairy lamb in Mr.
Gaux's Merino RambOuillet flock was
not freak Of nature, or accidental, but
most likely governed by law of nature,
we have also to take into consideration
that all the ancient authors agree that
originally there were two distinct breeds
of sheep in the East later on in Italy
the other with short and crimpled wool.
The Tarentine sheep undoubtedly belong
ed to the glossy, smooth and long-wool-
ed breed.
Further on we must bear In mind we
have evidence that In the year l4O4, King
Edward of England gave permission to
export a number of CotswOld sheep to
Spain, as present to Don Juan, King of
Arragon. The chronicles of Stowe and
Baker say that 1t was number of Cots
void ewes and four rams. Should there
not be a possibility that strain of
smooth, glossy and long-wooled English
Cotswold sheep was introduced in some
of the Merino stock.
The Importation of Merino sheep into
France and Germany took place at a
much later date, because it was only in
the year Of 1856 that the French govern
ment bought in Spain 376 Merlno sheep,
establishing with these the original flock
of Rambouillet, and it was Colbert, not
Dauberton, who had some forty years
before that date, introduced the first
Merinos into France,
have observed very frequently in
pure-bred Rambouillet and Negrete
fiocks, rams and ewes already of more
advanced age, with hair on the folds of
the neck, and punches of hair sometimes
growing out of the hip bones. Breeders,
of course, consider this defect, and try
to subdue the growth of hair on these
parts of the body but | think 1t is a sign
the wool fleece has a tendency to turn
back, on the more exposed parts of the
body, to the original coat of the sheep
TO conclude my argument l will beg
to recapitulate in short the aforesaid,
viz that most likely the ORIGINAL coat of