Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-03-08
Sheep Jnterest.
INFLUENCE OF LOCATION ON
WOOL

From paper on this subject by
French writer we condense the follow
ing: We may lay it down as a principle
that wherever the land is good there the
wool is equally so. If of medium quality
the wool loses in quality and value. If
sandy and poor it becomes poor, short In
the lock, harsh and brittle. Merinos
perfectly similar and well formed, If
transported to country different from
that of their origin, in spite of care and
of abundant food, but whose principles
have been changed by the soil, will at the
end of a few years have wool which has
become like that of the Mernos of the
country; for this reason, equally recog-
nized by science and practice, that the
organism necessarily adapts itself to the
conditions under which individuals live.
Thus the type can be maintained only by
constant renewal of the stock, which, re-
garded from a rural-economy point of
view, is generally bad proceeding; for
experience teaches that to be profitable
agricultural industry should Away sseek
locality where it operates.
The woods of Spain are generally very
coarse they make tissue hardly disable,
very thick, very strong, but lacking the
elasticity, the softness, the sickness so
desired nowadays, and which, above all
are supplied by the woods of Germany
and Australia. Formerly pre-eminent
they are not so fine as formerly, and they
are hardly employed unless mixed. This
difference in fineness is owing to the
Spaniards not bestowing on their flocks
the same pains as formerly, and to neg
lgence in the selection of breeders. AS
to their nature it should be ascribed to
the strong heritage on which the Spanish
sheep feed, and to their way of living.
Indeed, generally exposed to the air, to
the night moisture, to the sun, and the
dust, and accustomed to lie on the
ground, they lead very rustic life.
These conditions produce those woods so
remarkable for their coarsness. We add
that the antiquity of the blood must also
exert its share of influence.
In Russia, on the contrary, where the
cold during the great part of the year is
extreme, the sheep live mostly in folds.
They thus lose the vigor brought about
by more temperate climate, and by the
different management which it allows.
On the other hand, the shearing is before
the hot weather, which, moreover, is of
short duration, so that the wool does not
come under its infleence. Thus the
Merino woods of Russia have much soft
ness, with the merit of yielding white
open lock, but their defect is largely of
grain.
German woods, especially the beautiful
woods of the Electorate of SaXOny, which
are now the first in the world in respect
to beauty, fineness and sickness, owe
their qualities to very careful selection,
management suited to the end proposed,
good pasturages, and temperate climate,
rather cold than hot.
The woods of Australia, in a locality
quite different from Russia, are equally
pliable and soft. One would think that
the llocks living in open air should, like
those of Spain, produce coarse wool
This seeming contradiction is explained
by the difference of food. Living in
steppcs where the pastures, more or less
abundant, more or less nutritive, are
often burned up by drought, the flocks
which do not receive strengthening fooc
Ia, f.N11 in moi II "A : a ~
health, and their fleeces feel the effect o
this. There are exceptions, especially il
those from Port Philip, but it is probable
that this difference in quality is owing II
better food Clothes made from tn
woods of Australia look we'll and handl
well, but they want strength and do no
last.
The Merino does not thrive in foggy q
rainy countries like England. 1t is ofte
said that this is owing to its constitutlo
being more delicate than that of othe
breeds. This is grave error. contra
dcted by many facts, each more demon
strative than the other. According TO US
two principal causes explain this ditlicu
W OF rearing lne Merlno unuer Il ram
cimate-namely, the closeness of tn
fleece, and the many roughnesses wit
which every lock of the wool bristlei
This closeness aud these rOughnesses +,
tain water longer, and in greater quantity
than other woods. If the rains be fir,
quent and the climate foggy, the COZ
slant moistness of the wool, which
intended for the animals protection
hurts it, on the contrary: the action {
the skin is no longer in all its strength
This essential function of the organise
being impeded, the animal is in state
constant suffering, and consequent
subject to numerous diseases, particula
ly the rot, or aqueous cacheXy, the pr
press of which is the more active as ri