The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-03
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There is one thing that even the mutton
sheep breeders have never denied. It is
that the Merino is unqualifedly pre-emi-
nently the wool sheep, says the Iowa
Homestead. with all correctness. 1t grows
a grade of wool that can be found on no
other animal in the world. For a Ions
time the Merino sheep business was so
far in the rear that it was struggling to
get to the other extreme position from
that which II occupied twenty-five to thir-
~ years ago Then ii was the most popu-
lar breed in the world and individuals
brought prices away up in the scale. As
prices of wool went down the merits OF
the Mer1no as a wool producer seemed
to grow better, and finally the advent OF
the mutton breeds brought the Merino
closer to the ideal for wool production and
further away from the mutton features
demanded by butchers and mutton eaters
Merino breeders have seen the drift Of
the demand and some of them have de-
parted from the original lines of the Me-
rino long enough TO breed off some of the
wrinkles and to Increase the size of the
carcass, until now we find some pretty
respectable looking mutton carcasses in
the Merino The Delaine Meriuos have
smooth body, with a long, fine fiber They
are without horns likewise. The Ram
bouillet Merino is also large, fine sheep,
and is fast gaining favor among sheep
breeders.
The prospects of Merino sheep-breeding
are fattering a this time. 1t has become
apparent that some profit can be made IN
growing the grade of wool usually clipped
from the Merino and as long as fine wool
Is in demand it will be wanted to supply
it. Mr.. Shattuck the son of the veteran
breeder of Mernos, claims that the we'll
made Merino mutton Is second only to the
En1rf hx1A @,
down cross produces finer mutton than the
pure bred SOuthdown." This latter state
ment We are inclined to give some degree
of allowance, for we do not indorse il.
We have always regarded the we'll bred,
weli-fatted Southdown mutton as the best
that can be produced. The reason for this
is that it has been bred so long for this
express purpose, in a country where the
demand is for the best and where the en-
vironments are favorable to its produce
ton whereas the primary demands for the
Merino have been fofS<Vool.
Every breed will haveits duh time and
1t will likewise have its days of boom
prices If its admirers win work to that
end. The Merino is not without them.
From wool selling at 81 per pound, and
rams selling up in the thousands to recent
wool prices of cents per pound, and fine,
wrinkley, wool-bearing individuals from
Vermont selling at $1.75 per head is a long
distance, indeed, but now the prices are
back to Is to 20 cents per pound for wool
and rams are -seHfaS. readily for good
money. The best breeders of this breed
have had a lesson-not to breed for wool
alone with a sacrifice of form, but to
make mutton along with the wool.
We believe that stud focks will be kept
of the wool-bearng families to supply the
demand from the ranges. And we antici-
pate good demand in the near future
for these wool Merinos in Mexico. and as
we will be called TO continue to supply q
part of the Australian and South African
trade. we will be necessitated to keep rams
for thai trade The demand is for a sheep
with fewer wrinkles by. the general Ameri-
can farmer, and sheep that will produce
twelve to eighteen pounds of wool and al
the same time raise lambs that will sell
well on the market and that will bear
down on the scales