Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-08-05

American Sheep Breeder.
Blood. breeding and feed are the
three great factors with when the
hockmaster. By Judlcious combination,
works out success. Money viii buy
blood, but breeding and feeding re-
qulre SKIN. The superficial thinker
might. therefore. conclude that blood
is of less Importance than either OF the
other elements. This Wow is errono-
Gus. Blood is the outcome OF a nun
dred or IA thousand years OF feeding
and breeding. Hence with money we
can buy the concentrated labor ana
skill of thirty generations of men.
Certainly Il would not be the part OF
wisdom to neglect to do so.
The Merlno has been bred thou
sand years-two thousand. for augnt
we know-for wool. II is true. tho
Americans have. by a more intensive
and scientific system. made greater
progress IN century in this direction
than the Spanlards did IN thousand
yearn.
The French. starting with the same
material ana wording ny system
equally as Intensive and scientific.
developed the Spanish type into "A
sheep equally valuable for wool and
mutton-the Rambouillet Merino.
The English. beginning with their
own insular material and working with
no less consummate skill produced
several breeds which challenge the
world as iiesh-producers. with wool "a
secondary consideration
Now. is II not obvious to every one
that II would be the heiEhth OF folly
for beginner today 10 try and stem
the current OF these generations OF
sSillful breeders and turn back the
stream? To try TO develop a wool
hpnFafs N "a IQpttIel,
or conversely. or even to try TO bring
forth a special purpose sheep out of the
double-purpose Rambou.lletp
Again. there are certain breeds
which may be termed border sheep, or
provinolals. such as the Dorsets. the
Welsh mountain sheep. the Scotch
Blaekface, the Choyoit. and perhaps
some others. These are. in the ex-
presive American yernacular "ruat-
lers." not feeders. There liz wild and
gamy quality to their flosh. often very
attractive to the epicure; they are
hardy and prolific, and able TO take
care of themselves under a stress OF
weather But, however desirable some
OF these races may be to the country
Renu1man who wishes TO feast his
friends on the choicest cuts OF mutton,
they do not lend themselves well 10
the broader and coarser uses OF the
NbIAu . lhAlhtAht az iAAhAAblA bt'dANNiH
for the undiscriminatiug massos. The
Shropshire, Hampshire, Southdown,
CotswoId. Lincoln and suffolk are busl-
ness feeders; the Cheylot and the Dor
set may better meet the wants of the
gourmet ana perhaps, under special
conditions. be more profitable. The
Dorset IL very prolific and very pre-
coclous,
Under English conditions, with rape
and turnlps and other succulent feed,
the Merino IS hardly 10 be considered
at all as n mutton-yielder Under
American conditions, with hay md
corn. this little dry feeder is some
times, IN Tho spring. the best resource
for market supply. Without it's ac-
cusiomod moist feed the Cotswold
often becomes leggy and drawn In the
TANKS. Hence. we end as we began.
blood IL great matter, but is not
with English or French
breeds. II we would keen them up TO
their native condition. ana not expect
disappointment and failures. we must
use, as far as may be possible In our
English and French methods
and feedstuffs.