Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-03-10
Agrifnltnral department.
AMERICAN MERINo SHEEP

AMERICAN MERINO SHEEP
When the first prizes for Merino
sheep were awarded to American
Merinos at the International Exposi-
ton at Hamburg, about twenty years |
ago, all Europe was astonished. The
Yankee sheep took the prizes over
the best locks of Europe, and they
could not understand it. After the
first surprise was over, the European
sheep-growers, at the close of the
exhibitions did the best possible
thing-they purchased the American
Merinos, or ''Vermont Merinos,'' as
they were generally called, for the
improvement of their own focks, at
what was then an unusual price.
The American Merinos are the result
of several importations, made early
in the present century from Spain,
and included animals from the Pau
lar, Infantado, Negretti, and other
celebrated focks, regarded as the
finest in Spain. Of these early i'm
portations, some were lost sight of,
or ''run OUT through careless breed
ing. Others were bred with great
care, and by crossing with other pure
fiocks, under our climate and with no
doubt better feeding, they gradually
developed, perhaps unintentionally
on the part of the breeders, into a
distinct family of Merinos now known
as American. The superiority of the
American over the best European
families of Merinos is shown, in the
first place. in its greater size and
weight. While the rams of the most
noted of the Spanish docks range
from sixty to one hundred pounds
this last weight rarely reached-the
American Merino rams run to one
hundred and twenty pounds, and up
wards to one hundred and eighty
pounds. These large weights are ac
companied by shorter neck and legs,
an increased width of loin and, what
is more important, a great increase in
the weight of fleece. Some focks
have averaged ten pounds of washed
wool, and individual rams have great
ly exceeded this weight. The Amer
lean Merino is marked by strong
folds and wrinkles, and some focks
have been bred with a view to these.
1t is common impression that ex-
!, cessive wrinkles indicate parity of
breed and fneness of wool, and breed
ers have endeavored to meet the pre-
| vailing taste for heavily wrinkled
sheep. Those who look to the best
} returns in wool do not approve of ex-
| cessive wrinkles, as they increase the
difficulty and the cost of shearing
| Breeders differ as to the amount Of
yolk desirable in the wool, and this
4 is sometimes excessive. Fashion ha:
/ much to do with both yolk and wrin
e kles the present tendency is to re
/ duce the amount of both. Tn,
l. American have been found to be su
/ perior to any of the European Meri
:, nos for improving the flocks of Aus
e tralia. A few months ago an Aus
: tralian fock-master who called upol
: US, said that the sole object of hi
visit to the country was to purchas
American Merino rams. He attrib
uted the great improvement whicI
1t has lately been manifested in Austria
, liam sheep, to the introduction o
in American Merinos. We notice tina
p English Agricultural writer's speak o
. the improvement in Australian sheel
by the introduction of Merino rams
4, but they fail to state that it is due t
rs the American rams. In sheep-rais
y. ing, as in many other branches o
~ agriculture, Australians and Me-
he ZeaIanders look to America for al
81 and improvement, rather than to th
3.
N. mother country.