The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-05-10
Sheep Breeding.


A correspondent of the New York
Tribune offers the following sensible re-
marks on the above subjects:
1.-The sheep is to be considered as a
producer of wool and meat. On the
plains of the far off South and West
where there ore no markets for mutton.
wool of the hardy Merino will be most
profitable to the producer. In the dense
ly populated states, and in all places
within easy reach OF great markets, NUT
ton will be the leading consideration.
The people of our cities are fast learning
to like good mutton, and sheep having a
dash of Cotswold or Southdown blood
upon Merino basis make very desira-
BILE food when properly prepared for
market. Early lambs are in great de-
mand, and grade wool from such sheep
Is called for by our manufacturers. The
low prices of wool are fast driving all
tire owners of high priced land out of it's
production, but mutton may profitably
be raised In connection with wool and
certain other branches OF farming. as
has been shown in England and other
countries. Some very valuable tiocks of
Merinos are still preserved with great
care by breeders IN the Eastern states.
to supply rams and some ewes to i'm
prove the great tlocks of the far off and
low priced lands of the new states. 1t
would be difficult and very expensive
work to form large tiocks of pure blooded
mutton sheep. But rams can be readily
purchased which, crossed upon common,
or, better still, upon grade ewes, will
soon produce valuable sheep, better
suited to the tastes of our people than
the flesh of the large breeds of sheep SO
much approved by the English strong
stomached laborer. Our people have
not learned how to use with profit or
pleasure the two or more inches of thick
fat that often covers the ribs of
thoroughbred Leicester or Cotswold
well-fatted wethers. Our people like
the smaller Southdown better, but he
does not, when pure in breeding, give
satisfactory fleece of wool, and his ten
dency to put on fat will bear toning
down by a cross OF Merino blood that
will help his fleece. / know that the
idea of successful mingling and combin-
ing the good qualities of such breeds as
Merino, Cotswold, and Southdown Is
not believed IN by many high authori-
ties. But when as great skill and as
many years have been given to this OBJ
ject as Bakewell and Hammond gave to
their work, l confidently believe that
new family of sheep will be produced,
having more real value than any now
known for the temperate and genial
climates found along and each side of the
forty-second degree of latitude, from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains.
The trial Is now going on, on our own
farm. flock of Merino ewes were
bred to Cotswold ram. To the eve
lambs we propose to put Southdown
rams, and from this last cross select
such as appear to combine the desired
qualities. The future must decide how
the flock should be managed after the
first mlngling of these breeds. 1t must
be admitted that material for most
valuable breed will be in the flock, and
the only question is as to the practi-
cability OF preserving and combining
their desirable qualities in proper pro-
portions. If a tendency to revert to any
of the three original breeds appear too
decidedly, it will be easy to take new
cross from one or both of the others to
correct the tendency"