Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1903-02-20
BLACK SHEEP.
Their Wool IL Especially Valuable.
Flock OF MIR. John n. WING

hneH "oot II Especially NntunHFn-
Flock OF Mr.. John N. Wing.
It's a common saying that there's =
black sheep Ia every flock. and In a fls-
nrative sense no doubt this assertion Ia
true. That there are focks OF sheep en-
urely composed OF black individuals
may not be generally known. says w.
j. Clarke In Wool Markets and Sheen
One OF the most valuable. IL not the
most valuable. is that which was
left by the late Hon. Allen OF BraesIde.
Queensland. Australia. This flock Is
composed entirely OF Merlnos and was
established more than twenty wears
ago by the deceased gentleman and
numbers G25 ewes and TWENTY-FIVE
rams. 1t Is said that there is I'm our
own country flock OF black Shrop-
shires. but as we have no data at hand
concerning this flock we offer no COM
ment thereon other than that OF saying
that cases where Shropshires produce
Dlack lambs must be extremely rare.
except 1t be In the case OF poorly bred
hocks, for In our experience OF years
OF handling large hocks of this breed.
both on their native heath and i'm this
country, we have never vet had an eve
bring forth a black lamb. Further
more, we would not care to invest I'm a
ram from flock that we knew had
produced one. 1t is said that the i'm
mortal Blackwell kept a black ram for
use In his work or Improving the
Leicester. We have reasons for be.
lieving rather than doubling this con-
tention. In Quebec the common stock
OF the country appears to all intents
and purposes to be OF the pure Leicester
blood. and no doubt It Is. as the founda-
tion OF that stock ~ said TO be from an
early importation of that g. eed. The
locks are very uniform i'm type. but one
thing which drew our attention while
there was the large number of black
individuals found In every flock. In
quite a number OF cases - per cent OF
the flock was made up OF black sheep
In one case we noticed that no less
than 30 per cent were black or OF a
very dark gray color. Whether or not
they had been selected and bred with
n view OF establishing flock of black
sheep we could not learn
The only black flock coming under
our notice that has been bred with a
view OF establishing Il pure bred flock
of black sheep is that of Mr.. John Il.
Wing. MillbrOOk. \. Y. While In this
flock there are individuals that are as
black rs the ace Of spades. there are
others that are not black on the sur
face, but rather OF very dark gray.
II should be mentioned. however, that
the under color OF the fleece L. almost
perfectly black. Mr.. Wing is To he com.
plimented OF the progress he has made
In regard to the establishment or his
flock, and there is but little doubt that
he VIII In the course OF few years be
the owner OF N very valuable flock not
only from curio point Of view, but for
the reason that black wool is worth CON
siderably more than the ordinary white
fleece. This value accrucs from the
great demand for that class OF wool In
Great Britain and certain countries Of
contin Europe. where Il is used I'm
the manufacture Of gowns for certain
religious orders. which by their vows
are compelled TO use undyed wooden
clothing