Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-04-03
Meriae Wrinkles.

! There are too many attempts IN cur
country TO get up certain fashions in
breeding all sorts Of domestic animals
Some resort to this for no other reason
than because they happen to possess
animals distinctively marked; and from
he produce Of these they trust by ere
ating fashion for them 10 be able 10
sell more rapidly and at considerably
higher price This has been more par
iicularly the case for n few years past
with pure red ShOrthOrn cattle, and
sOlid-cOl0rcd Jetseys with black points.
How absurd to prefer such. merely for
single color alone, when others OF
varied eOlOrs NAV be far superior for
thrift and economy of rearing. and es-
pecially for beef and the dairy. Every
sensible breeder should scout such folly
and set himself decidedly against it.
This would soon compel a wiser course.
So of the mania for wrinkles or folds
on Merino sheep. II is admitted by
those who favor them that in what they
call the old-fashiOned, less improved
merinos. wrinkles are Injurious to the
fleece. and that with them the staple or
tiber of the wool is shorter. coarser. and
abOunding more or less in hair. This
renders the fleece quite uneven. and
materially lessons its value.
But they contend that with the latest
improved sheep all these objections are
obviated. and that nothing OF other de-
sirable qualities is sacrificed by the in
crease of wrinkles. This. however, so
far as | know, is merely a matter Of
opinion with these sO-called impr0vers,
n.aa..I IL
Periments- The only way 10 test the
question would be TO take a distinct
flock of weli-bred smoOth-skinned, and
another of wrinkled sheep. AID keep
them near each other precisely alike
for a number of years During this
time make q careful record of the cost
of their food. their increase, and the
value of the wool and mutton sold. /
am Of opinion that the Smooth-skinned
would show R greater profit than the
wrinkled. although the breeders of the
latter claim a considerable advantage
in the percentage of the yield Of weight
in wool over that of the carcass. Yet
suppose il to be the case that TWO
wrinkied sheep shear as much wool as
three smooth ones. | think the cost Of
il from the former would be quite as
much as from the latter. and / doubt
whether It can ever be grown of so
even 4 length of staple In addition TO
this, the smOOth-skinned sheep can be
sheared in One-third or one-f0urth the
time of the grossly wrinkied, and their
skins are never painfully and badly
cut, a is unavoidable with hinge folds
Although the cOntenders for these
mOnsfnOus folds or wrinkles assert that
the sheep bearing them are as hardy,
prolific. thrifty and make as good NUT
ton as others. Il is not in the nature of
things that they should. They VIII en-
dure cold perhaps as well. but when il
comes 10 hot weather how can il be the
case with such numerous thick folds Of
skin and wool covering their bod es?
The extra growth of these must con
sIme the most food. and necessarily
draw from the juiciness of the flesh and
leave il comparatively dry and unsaF- /
ory. can not colceive how the car |
cass of such sheep can properly fatien. |
and abound with tender. lean. nicely /
marbled savOry mutton. as il is said the |
well-fOrmed smOOth-skinned make. |
Many Of the MerinO fiOck-mas,ers are |
opposed to these huge folds /
OF wrinkles. and only cult vaie those Of /
moderate form They say that the mo- 1
tive Of the breeders of the monstrosities /
IS 10 enable them to boast the superior /
weight of their heeces, and thus give 1
this sort of sheep the fashion and a
preference At much higher prices in
the sale Of sheep.
rnfz Sarsaa rama xt-aa v1araI u
France Dy some breeders of MerinOs. /
half = century ago or more; but | un-
dcrstOod it had only short run. aud |
those who indulged in il were soon dis
gusted with the plan. and glad to get |
back 10 the Old tsshion OF less wrinkled.
The prize sheep Z aw in the French |
Exposition at Paris in 1867, were mag
nificent animals with few small wrink- 4
les and fine. thick. even fieeces. which /
could be rapidly sheared. These had
no hair in them. and the staple or fiber
being of equal length. they commanded
a higher price from the manufacturer
Of wOOle1 gOOds than they otherwise
would; for in no system II sorting,
pickilg aud carding. cansfhese hairs be
easily got rid Of. and the liner and more
sorts Of cloth be fabricated from
such wool These monstrOus folds can
not be found in the Silesian sheep,
which produce kind Of wool 50 supe-
riOr as to make il preferred 10 all
others BY the German manu- factIirers
lf the highest quality of broadclOih.
-Dr. Randall r first-rate general author
", = long and extensive breeder oi
Merinos on his farm in Cortland COun-
YIN his very able work On American
'heep husbsndry. stigInatizes NUMEROUS
arge wrinkles As "a mons trOsify,~ and
confeSses that he agrees to n consider
ible extent with Mr.. Joshua Kirby
Trimmer Ga British writer on the i'm
DrOyemeht of fine wOolsl. that this idea
!, as wild as tha, which some of our
.ieOrists have entertained. that bv law
ng lands in high rid Ees and low far
rows tn. surface of the earth and its
produce Is increased" Nothing could
De more opposite than this simile. but
% perceive its full force one should have
raveled in Great Britain and seen how
much Of its very soft clay soil has for
sges and ages been raised into high
ridges with low burrows betwe n. by
sOntinnefl plowing. have seen MANY
/ field where the difference between the
wO was three feet or more in height.
mi the lands thus lad up separating
hese were not over twenty 10 thirty
Get wide Raising the ridges in this
manner was for the purpose Of draining
he soil; for without them the land was
10 wet as TO BE- almost impossible of
cultivation in hoed crops. Since the in
reduction Of tile-draining these fields
re no longer ridged. bat plowel down
nio the burrows. and the lands left