The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-02-09
rHD sHTEH INTEREST.


mtohoA "a th' NNhtAAH at'AtfN ~ "
Breeders and wool-Crowers' association.
held at Lansing. Michigan. Dsesnb-f D.
and 20, lss9
In giving description Se make 10
reference TO Deiaine Saxon OF an other
family Of sheep. Il u. or should ~ r.
distinct family Cr breed. rs AZ. i
grow wool for the million ami hss -
competitor.
The head should represent thar q the hull
dog rather than that u the KRIS yhOund
lt should be short. especially from the
eye to nose the shOrtness should De made
up Ia breadth, giving good brain capacity
with courage and rcsOlut-uess to defesd
itsolf; less Inclined 10 fright and NOR
quiet Ia lts habits. The short. thick
head also gives better ga Bog 'nin col
inssticate It's food. The nee u"l.i irI
thick and muscular. especially V4ts
the horns, medium In length, 81
rather than long, set well up on the
shoulder, giving an .'uphezded" appear
ance. The briskct should project well
forward; points OF shoulders should be
wide apart, giving a broad breast taper
Ing somewhat to top, setting well back
and up, giving great depth from the
brisket to the top of the shoulder. The
top OF the shoulder should DO high and
sharp rather than low and broad, es-
pecially In the ram at maturity; the fore
legs should not he placed too far on the
outer edge of the shoulder. but enough
so as to give good space between. The
leg should be straight to the foot. II
the legs should be placed ON the extreme
out edge. with low. fiat, upright shout
der. they become liable to slip-shoulder
under fatlgulng drives. The barrel
should be round, with sufficient depth to
give internal organs full capacity. The
back should be short and straight (from
point Just back of the shoulder, where
there should be slight drop to coup
ling. Hip and over loins should be
br lad; rump long, moderately sloping,
holding thickness well back to the tail
The hind legs should stand wide apart.
forming nearly straight line from hip
to foot. The legs should incline forward
from the hook upward, and with proper
folds running around behind, giving the
legs the appearance of being straight
in all positions.
The legs should be short rather than
long, with the foot standing straight for
ward. Measurements at this season would
be of no value. The girth should be large
back of the shoulders in proportion to
other parts; it should stand as high at
shoulder as at hip when matured, and
should weigh from 40 to $50 pounds for
the ram, and from 100 to ITO for the eve
Very large or very small animals of any
kind are not desirable; the medium of
its kind is the best and safest to breed
from.
We believe we are standing on safe
grounds when we say that no American
Merino sheep-breed' would wholly dis
nd rit,l- lQC M
ence existing is in reference to what ex-
tent and on what parts the animal shonld
possess them. While the most radica
ideas on this point require the entire an
imal covered with wrinkles, Others hold
ing different views do not care to have
more than moderate folds on the lower
part Of the neck, or a mere dewlap, with
slight folds at elbow, flank and tail.
We take medium ground, and believe
1t of great Importance where the folds
are located and to what extent they are
present. There should be two or more
wrinkles across the nose. a good cheek
wrinkle starting Immediately below the
eye, running down connecting below the
jaw, forming pocket; from that to the
shoulder there should be five prominent
fields covering the entire neck, giving 1t
the appearance of being nearly as large
ON top, increasing in size downward, con-
Meeting four or five inches below the
neck. inclining forward from the top
downward. Very low, pendulous folds
may be considered fancy point; they
are of no value and are cumbersome to
the animal; they draw back from the
cheek, causing lack of density of wool
on such parts, a very desirable point.
There should be one or two folds run
ming across lower part Of shoulder OF
fore-leg. There should be from six to
eight moro or less prominent folds from
back Of the shoulder to the flank, COM
mencing at point half way down the
body, increasing in size downward, and
extending under, covering the entire I'M
der side. The first fold back of the fore
leg should be more prominent, connecting
below with the fold running across the
fore-leg, thus forming a cover at open
space at elbow; also one or two folds
running around the tail, connecting with
fold running forward and down the
thigh and flank; few disconnected ones
along the side of the hip. Folds should
run down and across the hind leg, over
tapping to the hook. The upper part of
the body, back of the shoulders to the
hip, should be free from wrinkles or
folds.
1t may be asked what value there is in
wrinkles. 1t is Northumberland fact
that they indicate thickness and album
dance of fleece; were 1t not for this no
intelligent breeder would tolerate them.
We experience no difficulty in obtaining
desirable fleece on the upper part of the
body, hence no necessity for wrinkles-it
is the weak point usually found on the
plain sheep that want bracing up.
Wrinkles covering the back and upper
part of the body, growing less as they
approach the lower side with smooth I'M
der side are an unmitigated nuisance.
They indicate a tight hide, more jar
hairs, less oil on underside and neck and
liabilities to be deceptive in weight of
fleece.
The fleece should cover all parts with
an even length, thickness and quality,
except outer edge of folds; the front
face should be clear of wool to a point
one and half or two inches below the
eve and he cOverp1 with short fina wal