The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-10

Below will be found two interesting 1t ms
I'm regard to sheep breeders; aSo one as
to the treatment that should be awarded
the Southdown. The fist concerning "A
New Breed of Sheep" is from an exchange,
with comments by the Iowa Homestead; the
others are from the Rural New Yorker, be-
ing contributions of correspondents to that
paper:
Wool growers are awaiting with interest
the final results of the experiments which
the agricultural department OF the University
of California is prosecuting with the idei OF
evolving from a cross of the Merino with the
Persian, a new and distinct type of see p.
The males of the Merino and tae femal,s of
the Persian u ed. The object is to com
bine the advantages of a large fleece CT fac
quality with the ability to produce mutton
OF the best class from the same flock. The
experiments 50 far are not sufficiently con-
elusive TO permit the announcement of deli
mite results. but the indications are that he
experiments Will prove completely successful:
If a type OF sheep which will produce wool
comparing favorably in quantity with ma;
of the Merino, and at the same time will
equal the Southdown or some 9th mutton
sheep in mutton production is prcdu,e tie
California station will have accomplished
one of the greatest successes in recent y arS
in the improvement of domestic antma s. 1t
is tue that this combination OF WOOL and
mutton is claimed for several breeos of she
already in general use; but it is also thu
that when many of these breeds come to
final test they are lacking in one respect o:
the other. 1t seems difficult to ct eed
OF sheep that combines the woo.-produ:ing
and the mutton-producine qualit to thu
results of the above experiments will be
awaited with interest by sheep bres ders.-Ex-
change.
widely published of late, and a word of ex-
PLANTATION may be timely. TIE careful red :
er will observe that there is a very big
''if'' at the beginning of the second para
graph-in fact, about the bisg ST one in tn
whole business OF stock breeding. 1t Is
the condition expressed by this crue' III"
that prevents a 2,C00-pound horse wi a
Star Pointer gait; that bars the ing
a prize winner at a beef show and at the
same time giving tubful OF cream 1t has
always been and always will BE- an impos l.
bic condition. and it is not surpris ng, tsere
fore, that the breeds which claim surpass
ing excellence in both are lacking in one
periments are not Sufficiently conclusive as
yet" 1t is exceedingly doubtful if they even
have any value at all. Some big things come
from California-eveD big stories.
Prior to 1890 but little was kncwn of The
Lincoln in the United States. There were
a few scattering hocks, but they were In
the hands of people that gave them no show.
Shortly after that time nesting was C Fed
at Lansing, Mich, of all breeders OF Lnco
sheep, the result of which was the
ganizing OF the Michigan Lincoln Sheep
Breeders association. A few years later
this changed to the National Line II
citation for the Lincolns in Am ricl. In
1898 an exhibit of Lincolns was made at the
worlds fair by an Ontario bresder VIII CHI at
tracted a great deal OF atenticn from W. St
ern ranchmen as well as sheepmen all over
the United States. This exhibit had as much
as, and perhaps more, to do In booming this
noble breed than any other one thing. That
this breed Of sheep has come to the front
by practical test, and upon its merits alone,
at PACE attained by no other known bred,
IS not disputed by any disinterested p ron
who has been in the sheep circle the past
few years.
The Lincoln is a wool and mutton Sheep.
A weli-hand,ed ram should weigh at maturity
275 to $50 pounds, and shear u to is pounds
Of choice wool. Royal Duke, imported
ram, has weighed 400 pounds in high fit, and
shOrn, 20 pounds Of wool at L months
growth. Ewes weigh 200 to $50 pounds at M
ture ege, and shear 10 to Is pounds of wool.
The ewes are excellent breeders, gree milk
but often singles and triplets will put in an
appearance. For crossing On native ewes,
the Lincoln has no rival; from such c ssS
we get Axe feeders and heavy shearers. We
are often asked, Where do the Lincol1s do
the best?' The answer Is anywhere in the
United States where other breeds of sheep
thrive. We have shipped the Lincolns to
Idaho, Iowa Montana and several Southern
states well as the Middle and Nor hern
states, and in every instance, where kro~u,
the Lincolns are at home and doing we'll.
E. P. o iSer.
Genesee County. Mich.
The custom with the South Downs has
been for rams to run with the ewes A st ong
ram lamb can be bred to 10 or 20 ewes.
have bred yearlings to 40 ewes, but the sea-
son would be prolonged by turning in riy
and adding more ewes later. Old rams always
got us better show lambs for September show
than younger. The South Down, as long as
he is healthy and vigorous, is not too d.
One eve, Grady e6, IL years old, produced
and raised a pair of twins this year.
Our custom has been to- breed to two or
three rams in order to sell to cd customs s;
rams and ewes, not akin. ] have practiced
feeding shelled corn just before l wanted to
breed; l am not sure that it does any got d
but practice it and believe that it does.
know enc breeder in Kentucky who rents
rams of Alexander. puts boy horse and
CrI' es t e ewes all dty He claims that his
lambs ali come within very few days. 1t
is almost impossible for to get January
or February lambs. Grade Merino, or he
old natives take the ram earliest. A neigh
Dor breeding for mutton lambs, lets the ram
with the ewes, and from native or low
grade Merinos, has raised two sets of lambs
in one year, and five sets of l. mbs IN three
years.
Carefr' coupling AM rigid culling will make
q flock Careless coupling will dete riorate.
have failed to have uniform flock. when l
kept valuable ewes long as thew wou
breed, and bred to two three rams each
year. This was done for the sake of line
breeding, and to supply old customers with
breeding stock. F. F. RobT son.
Hanover, o.