National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-02-23
MERINo SHEEP.

A Plen for, This Breed sas Mutton
Producers-somo Very sensibIe sug-
Rcsttons.
There arc mutton sheep and sheep for
mutton; and now that mutton production
Is receiving more consideration from the
owners Of wool-producing flocks than has
been its wont, IL may DO profitable in re-
curing to tho subject to inquire how
much Of the generally admitted superior
ity of flesh Of the so-called mutton breeds
Is the result of breeding and feeding for
development and flavor Of flesh-processes
MS readily accessible to Morino breeders
rs to breeders of Southdowns or other
popular types. An evident fault with
much of the discussion upon the superb
GRITTY Of certain kinds of sheep flesh, and
the proftabeness of its production, has
bpon the disposition Of disputants to rush
to conclusions without giving due weight
TO all the facts having bearing on APP
parent results. Admitting, as u majority
are ready to do that the flesh of the
Southdown stands at the head of the
mutton list, does IL necessarily follow that
that popular favorite may not yet find
rival in some Of the less popular types OF
the present day. The typical Southdown
sheep Of to-day is unquostionably the
superior of its progenitOr of fifty years
ago. Intelligent breeding and feeding
have wrought this improvement Is 1t
| land the Southdown is singled ont for
this illustration only because Of its pre-
ominence as producer of good mutton)
any moro susceptible to efforts ut anchor
ating the quality and quantity OF its flesh
than tho Merino2 If not, what Is want.
ing to make good mutton from Merino
flocks, outside OF general determination
on the part of Merino breedors2 APP
parently nothing.
The territorial competition in wool
growing has so sorely pressed the sheep
raising farmers of the older states that
the importance-not to say the absolute
nccessity-of approaching flock incomes
is not to be longer ignored. In Merino
flocks on high priced lands carcass values
must have moro consideration OF maxi
mum results will never be attained. In
wool production alone the ranch man has
an advantage that will not be offset by
increased transportation charges and other
drawbacks of frontier husbandry. In
the marketing of live animals the ad-
vantage IS with those farmers who, by
reason of proximity to markets, are en-
abled to avail themselves of temporary adj
vances in prices as well as diminished
freight charges.
The Merino sheep are better mutton
producers than they are commonly cred
tied with being, and that they aro sus-
ceptible of being so much further ad-
vanced in this respect as to make them
producers Of first class mutton. This is
not prediction; it is merely the admission
of what has been over and again demon
strated by competent men who have pre-
ferred to arrive at conclusions through
investigation rather than by tradition.
The prejudice against Merino mutton
itself an inheritance from colonial days,
when it was more tho rule than now TO
take cue from beyond tho big sea- has
long found encouragement in the persist
oncy with which American breeders have
ignored carcass development. So long has
this policy been persisted in that little
opportunity has been afforded for living
down tho prejudice, which under an OPP
posite policy would long since have taken
its place among those errors and isms
unable to stand test under the brighter
lights with which the presentlis blessed.
The farmers OF the older states can not
move too soon in this matter. The day
of their opportunity is upon thom.-
| Breeders CASTLE.