Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-09-14
FARM STOCK SHOW.
MAGNIFICENT EXHIBITS on THB PAIR
GROUNDS YESTERDAY.
Entries in the Cattle Glasses Unsurpassed-Soms
Fine Animals-Horsss, Swine and Sheep
The Various Breeds and
Their Qualities.

While thousands of people were in q
fever of excitement and enthusiasm over
the outcome Of the races yesterday after
noon, and on preceding days a scene
was going on in the stock pens
and cattle yards a few hundred feet
away, which was not as exciting, but in
its way quite as interesting. A continual
stream of stockmen was thrOugipg in and
out among the various exhibits, and here
and there a staid matron or a comely
maiden passed by and recorded her judg-
ment on the qualities of the numer-
our farm animals of every class that were
there displayed. 1t was a scene that con-
tinued with little variation from the time
the gates were opened in the morning until
the last bleating lamb had been removed
at night. The substantial farmers from
three States were among the throDg bent
on improving their stock. The gay young
man with his best clothes on and the
blushing maiden on his arm also
passed by, and, as the prayer
book puts it, men of all
sorts and conditions of life gszsd, ex-
amined and poked their canes with equal
freedom at the grunting pOrker and pug
nacious ram. 1t is safe TO cay that never
has there been better general exhibits Of
farm animals on the Island Fair Grounds.
The number and variety of breeds OF all
kinds was unsurpassed, and no intelli-
gent farmer could examine the displays
without gathering new ideas for the i'm
provement Of his Aocks and herds.
The Sheep Pens.
In past years there have been more
sheep of various kinds on the grounds than
there was yesterday, and exhibitors attrib-
ute the decrease in numbers to q reduction
in the amount of premiums offered. Bat
it is doubtful if the entries were ever OF
finer quality, or representatives of a great
er number Of breeds. Among the entries
were two breeds of Merino, one flock OF
Delsines, and two hocks Of Cotswolds
The flock Of Thomas McEwen, of Wash
ing,on county, Pa, was the first among
the sheep pens. 1t was of the breed known
as Dickinson Merino and numbered six
teen head. The sheep were Of the fine
wool variety, and a cross on the American
merino. The improvement from the addi-
tion of coarse wool strain ia seen In the
heightened wool, which is delaine in fibre,
and loses little or none of the merino
closeness and richness. The Dickin-
son Merinos were imported from Spain in
1902 and bred by Col. Humphreys. From
him the pure strain passed into the hands
Of Col. Dickinson and others. The breed
was first introduced into Pennsylvania by
Mr.. McERen and his brother.in-law, and
they are confident that il is the sheep for
this section of the Ohio Valley. 1t ia
claimed by them that the aeeces will av-
erage IL pounds in weight and the wool is
as good as sny in the market, while the
sheep are unsurpassed for mutton.
sAxONY, MERISO AND ATWOOD.
Two docks of improved SaxOnys weEe
located next to Mr.. McEwen's. They
belonged to Mr.. John G. Clark, Of Logan
do, Pa, and l.. Lindley, Of Prosperity,
Pa. Both fOcks contained some tne ami
mails, and one took two first, and the other
| five first prizes. Their points are fneness
and value Of fleece. The wool is light, but it
commands q high price, while the sheep
themselves are unusually hardy and free
from disease.
Mr.. Oliver Watkins entered a flock Of
American MerinOs, eighteen in number
He took two first premiums on the quality
of wool. The fleece of the American
MerinO is heavier than either the Dickin-
son or the Ssxony, and the wool is very
fine and oily. 1t sells at fair price,
while the sheep is n good mutton pro-
ducer, though lighter than the Dick
inson. Messrs. S. O. Work q Son. Of
Buffalo, Pa, exhibited four head Of q
breed known ss the Atwood MeTino, which
closely resembled the American Merino in
IN all particular points. The strain was
brought TO America in 1901, and breeders
claim that il is the purest merino strain
now maintained. The Atwoods weigh
from 100 pounds 10 175 in extraordinary
! cAStS. 1ub uecCc hfclhkco abOut t"NA'S
pounds in weight, and the wool is slightly
less than delaine in length.
DELAINRs AND CoTsWOLDs.
James McClelland's Delaines, and the
Cotswolds belonging TO Mr. Parshal, OF
Washington county, Pa, and J. Runci-
man, Of Ashtabula county, Ohio, were
among the haDdsomest entries made.
The peculiar value of the Ootswold as a
coarse wool and mutton sheep, is well
known. Whether it or the Merino
is the most profitable, is and will
remain a mooted question. But GER
tain it is that the magnificent
Cotswold entered by Messes. Runciman
and Parshall, had numerous admirers
among sheep raisers yesterday. One ram
in the entry pulled the scales at 26O
pounds, and Mr.. Runciman claimtd that
another of his flck weighed 2S6 pounds.
The fleece weighs only from ten to twelve
pounds, and is inferior in quality to the
fine wool hseces. TIE loss IN wool, how
ever. il made up 10 the increase in size
and meat production. Other exhibits IN
these classes were well mp 10 the standard, 4,
and the premiums were hOtly contested
for.