Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-12-13
Sheep Jnterest.
MORE ON THE MERlNo QUE ,TIoN.

teriorated?" The above would take in
all sheep producing fine wool, as the
word Merino is today used, and it would
be broad assertion for any one to say
it has or it has not. without good
knowledge of the whole wool-growing
sections of the United States. But
without doubt Coleman's Rural World
speaks only of the stud and registered
Merino 1ocks of our different States.
The latter must heartily coincide with,
in all the Rural World has claimed
Twenty-Five years ago we had moth
ing but the bare sheep to recommend
itself to the wool-growers at large, and
the breeders of stud 1ocks did not dare
for moment rest on the laurels they
had won. For then it was a day of
progression and every flock had to make
its own reputation and each sheep stand
on its individual merit. What was the
result of this competition as to who
should lead the band? There are many
living witnesses ready to testify today,
it was the cause of the greatest advance
ment aud trade ever known in the sheep
industry.
In producing MeriDo sheep worthy
of its name it was then the breeder la
beled it constitution; it was then the
pedigree had to cover the whole sheep,
and the transfer was in its perfect wool
and mutton qualities. How easy it
would be for the breeders of Addison
county to transfer such sheep to the
near and far West. For those sheep
supply the wants of the general WOOL
growers today. Then was it strange
with this class of sheep that had been
scattered over the near western States,
that there should be Il growing demand
for them. And when it was announced
to the breeders at large that Vermont
was to have a sheep register and none
but the pure unspotted Merino flocks
could enter therein, it gave still more
confidence to the outside world, that
there would be great Improvement and
no risk in getting the best, if only regis
tered. | will admit it made Il boom for
registered stock; so well pleased with
what they had had in the past, that it
was looked upon as no risk, if only
registered; they must be the very
cream of Vermont flocks.
1t would be useless for me to picture
the result from buying upon registra-
ton alone, as hundreds of breeders have.
For when the old "Ithaca rake" was
once more brought into use and gather
ed into the register everything (mostly)
that could come under the head of sheep,
and placing our best breeders on the
level with many flock that then, or
today, would not be called good grades
in Ohio or any part of the near West, is
what | claim to be the cause of the
downfall; and | am sorry to say this
registration seemed to act like an opiate
or nearly all of our best breeders.
With great demand for sheep recorded
in the register and the fact that they
had been admitted and now stood on the
level with every breeder in the State,
seemed to suffice their every want But
the day is dawning and | fear the morn
ing will be far spent before our breeders
awake to the true position they now
occupy. Could they but see this same
register, that was proclaimed to the
world to be built on rock and carried
them to the topmost round of prosperi-
ty, is all farce and that the breeders
have discovered its true foundation tC
be nothing but quicksand, and this same
register with the hand that overshadow:
and the ''power behind the throne') ,
with its teachings so contrariwise to the
general wants of the breeders in our owl
country and South America, our two
great markets, has already carried then
below the point of embarkation. Breed
ers, if you still continue to yield to thi;
wildcat theory, that sheep must be
covered with wrinkles and must b'
smeared with grease more than is nee
essary to perfect its form and protec
its wool, it will carry you down with
ten-fold greater velocity than it took yol
up. Away with this farce and act one,
more III real lie ana Dreeu Merln'
sheep that the trade demands and i
worthy the name. You have done i
once, you can do it again, had TIN
author of the first volume of the regis
ter been enabled to find some record o
Improvement from 1916 to 1865 in weigh
of fleece; (hrst vol. Vermont Register
PIP. 65 and 66). On page 60 had he said
'The large increase of the averag,
weight of fleeces in Vermont and tn
United States during the twenty year
from 1850 to 1870 is subject WORT
noticing and a strong argument in favo
of substitution of the blood of tn
heavy-shearing RambOuilete Merino
Of Vermont fiocks for the light-woole,
Saxony sheep so popular forty to fit,
years ago, and it will be shown to hav
added very largely to the material wealt
of Our cOuntrvr and had no callad Won