The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-08-27

na,s W. Not uer, Really an ~ rarro.s
Sheep
generation ago tlr principal charms
" an American MDrno wcr wrinkles
and rrctsr Mrinu. bad heon bred with
us "a hundred yoars fa mefo density aud
quantity of heoco hut when the gum
and grcasc camu to bccluuod ont VI Che
wool IL wins found 10 losc anywhere
from 30 to 40 per cent in weight All
at once 10 hvgan o. dawn un sumo sheep
mi.crs that tine Americans had bred
grease and density into Mwiuos about
long enough ono Of these breeders WIS
Mr. ". q Markham of Avon, western
New York Ho was commissioned to
take over to Japan number Of uur puc
bred Morinos at tho time when that
country was first awakening from her
oriental sleep and beginning 60 take ON
the hustle Of western nations In Japan
Mr. Markham observed the admirable
results obtained from crossing the
greasy, wrinkly American Mcrino upon
the native Mongolian sheep That ami
NAL produced thin, coarse, moderately
/ long wool II gave, moreover, excellent
mutton The shrewd American breeder
saw at least 800 per cent improvement
in the first cross. An idea occurred 10
him. The Australian Merino had been
bred along different lines from that OF
America The Australian Merino WOO
staple was fine, delicate and beautifully
long, but not nearly so dense and greasy
as ours. Seeing the effect of the cross
ing Of the American Merino upon th,
Mongohan sheep, Mr.. Markham reason
ed further If such a cross gave sucl
happy results, then why would not
cross Of tho American and Australian
Merino produce the perfect sheep?
From that time Mr.. NJ began /,
work up to his idea At first the Aus
tralians would not listen 20 it, The,
laughed 10 scom the greasy, crinklet
American. At length, after much per
suasion, one man was induced by Mr.
Markham 10 make the experiment Mr.
McFarlanc, one Of a doputation Of Aus
tralians who visited this country, tool
back with him l2 American Merin,
rams and six ewes Then the stamped'
began. There is nothing 10 which tn
craze that began in Australia can b,
compared except the tulip bulb craze il
Europe a century ago McFarlane had
corner ON American sheep. One Of hi
neighbors offered McFaIlane $50, 900 10
the first ram lamb produced from tn
American sheep.
In 1880 the first full shipload Of greasy
crinkly American Merinos went /
Australia. They were quarantined tire
months before being admitted TO th
country. Men TO whom McFarlane re
fused to sell any Of the pure breds sen
over here and bought MerinOs them
, selves. A quarrel broke ont in conse
. quence between McFarlane and one O
his best friends, and their two familie
did not speak TO each other for five years
Here might have been material for a
Australian Montague and Capulet story
= all because Of rivalry in the sheep breed
ing business. The American Merind
readily brought 80, 900 apiece.
1t is TO be remembered that the Amer
lean Merinos were not valuable for woo
. in and Of themselves. They were. how
ever, invaluable for breeding up tb
thinner wooded Australian Merinos
What they have done in this respect J
10 be judged from the report Of one O
the great Australian woolgrowers II
said that the American cross has adde
one pound Of wool each TO 500, 900 Auf
tralian sheep. That was a gain Of no
less than $50, 900 year
The greasy, crinlsly American Merin
is in Mr.. Markham's judgment yalueles
: except for breeding up other familie,
But there is one particular breed whic
he believes is just right for the Amer
can farmer It is here and now what III
} Australian Merino became after it wi
crossed with the American blood. Tn.