Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-07-30


ed the model ram.
IL will now notice briefly two or three
c. &. The first is the delicacy of consti-
tuition of the modern Merinos; he asserts
that it is necessary to house and protect
them from storms all the year round.
Now, maintain that it is not necessary,
but the practice of summer housing is de
trimental to their thrifty growth, and ulti-
mately to their constitutions. do not
house either my ewes or their lambs until
the heavy rains in late autumn, unless
wish to exhibit them at some of the fall
shows. and although many of them are
wrnlily with oily fleeces, think it would
trouble A. G. G.. to find more healthy
or thrifty flock. Neither have found
it necessary to feed grain to my young
ewes or lambs in summer or fall to keep
them in growing. thrifty condition. and
but very little during winter
'In size | have already realized the
Weight a. - VI gives IL HIS htt'il I'i
ewes. !. T.. 100 pounds. In January last
all my ewes coming two, three and four
years old were weighed, only one weigh
ing less than 100 pounds; she Ga yearl-
ing) weighing 9G; they all averaged
ll2 l-3 pounds. They were gaining at
that time an average of about pounds
each per month (they had been weighed
one month previous therefore they
weighed at least Is pounds on the aver
age the last of February-probably more.
\ our correspondent says that from ewes
of such weight he would be satisfied with
10 pounds of wool each. am not, for
know | can do much better. Mine aver
aged - pounds. although all but few
were shorn several days short of years
growth-some of them not oyer eleven
months. All brought lambs but one;
one lamb was lost by an accident; the
others are raising their lambs. They are
growing very rapidly, and bid fair to be
even larger than their dams. These
ewes were sired by heavy Shearing rams,
most of them by rams heavily folded,
and with oily tleeces- just such as \. {.
G.. says will ultimately ruin any farmers
flock unless extra pains is taken to pro-
tect and provide for them. | do not
want any sheep that will require more
care than these get. and certainly do
not want any that will not pay for all
give them. have yet to learn that it
pays to neglect any kind of farm stock,
and he who withhold> reasonable care of
his sheep will never have good or profit
able ones.
Nov. instead of the wool from these
ewes being the hardest to yet rid of,
had several buyers ready and willing to
take it at the highest market price for
unwashcd wool. and with it my ram,
fleccc> at Il discount willingly named by
myself. and which. from their heavy
weights. | could we'll afford to make.
The truth i. the wool from our heavy
Vermont Merinus j. in demand on ac-
count of its strong fibre and excellent
telling qualities. and we find more seek
ing il every year. This year there are
many competing buyers seeking it. One
large manufacturing establishment after
trying it for Il few years with Australian
wool i, securing all it can of this.
wish had samples of all the above
named woods to send you. nut have but
three or four. which | enclose, and leave
it for YOU to decide whether they lack
either length. style or quality. The ewes
bearing these flccceS were all sired by
heavy Shearng rams. oily tlceccS and
heavily folded. except one, her dam
being heavily folded, with an oily fleece.
She was coupled to Il ram somewhat
smoother. and with fleece not quite A.
oily.
zone word IA to your correspondents
ideal sheep. When he. or any other
breeder, shows us Il flock of Merno sheep
that has been select at the start with
only plain sheep, and those with little
oil in their tleeces. and bred for ten or
'N'h NiN SNllNl iNl'uNs ~ using nv
except from fiocks with like character
isticS, and still maintain the thickness
and weight of fleece started with, |. with
many other breeders, will believe it can
be done, but until such practical result
is actually obtained, we must be allowed
to doubt that it can be realized. | am
perfectly aware that for fifty. perhaps
more, years, such ideas have been
advocated, and while in some instances by
using the smooth rams from wrinkly
flOcks, no very marked deterioration has
taken place, it is fact that no flock that
have ever seen has kept pace with the
improvements that have been made in
the wrinkly tlocks, or even held its own
where wrinkles and oil have been entirely
discarded
| Il, ii. ~.