The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-13
The Future of Sheep.

Chicago Tribune
Well informed persons now generally acknowl-
edge that the sheep industry Of the country is in
a transition state 1t must, as matter OF
course always be more or less 50, for the rea
son that fashion dictates the quality Of wool of
which dress material is made. Notwithstanding
this, the prominent breeds, as, for instance, the
American merino-the most superior breed of
fine wooded sheep in the world,wili always re-
among mutton sheep. The composite breeds
will vary as the years 60 on, some gain
ing the dignity OF distinct breeds, while the in
ferior will die out and cease to be known. Near
large cities, and indeed In all well-settled dis
tricts. sheep will come to be more and more
generally kept on farms, since they proftably
dispose of products not so economically eaten by
other stock. In all such situations the mutton
will be sought as the principal integer of value
Mutton sheep cannot be Kept IN large Hooks, as
can fine-wooled sheep like merinos and their
grades, from breeding on the common sheep of
the country. Hence the natural place for the
mutton breeds is distinctly on the average farms
of the country.
There is, however another phase Of the ques-
zion as to tho future Of sheep, and that is the
influence Of superior blood on the great sheep
ranches of the West and Southwest. On these
ranches it seems inevitable that there shall be q
constant degeneration towards hair rather than
wool. This is especially shown in the sheep of
Mexico. originally of Spanish fne-wooled stock.
1t is true much of this depreciation lies in the
want of care in breeding and selection. Never
theless IL is admitted that in Texas there Is
depreciation, and the wool quality must be kept
up by constant infusion of blood from the breed
ing establishments Of the North. This is now
acknowledged by some prominent sheep-masters
of Texas, New Mexico, and other of the great
ranch districts of the country. Hence these
regions will afford a market for the most SUI
perior rams to hold the wool Of the full-bloods
intact.
Besides this, grades lower in quality of bucks,
yet full bred, will be constantly required to breed
up the common sheep of these regions. When
bred M to high grades-say fifteen -sxteenths
pure-there will be required yearly vast num-
Der of pure males to hold the fiocks intact in re-
spect to the fneness of the wool There is one
point in the breeding Of sheep not generally
known. The fleece is not changed proportion
atey in breeding up as is the carcass. t. breed
wool from common stock up to high degree of
consistent fneness requires many generations;
to breed the carcass to eminent fineness not more
than four or five generations.
The future of the wool industry of the United
States will show certain districts to be adapted
to particular breeds Of sheep-the billy and
more rocky to the fine woods, the more rolling
lands to the Downs, and the fatter lands to the
Leicesters, Cotswods, etc. The United States
now produces about all the fine wool that is
used in the country. The 700e0 600 pounds i'm
ported last year was principally carpet woods.
People will come more and more to the keeping
of sheep in small fiocks on every farm at least
to the extent of feeding such forage and crops as
cannot otherwise be so proitably disposed of.
In fact, sheep must become part of the regu-
larly kept animals of every farm, paying some
profit in mutton and wool, but the principal and
increasing value lying in the enrichment Of the
soil