Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1903-03-06
BLACK SHEEP.
Their Wool IL Especially Valuable.
Flock OF Mr.. .goh,, m MI

Their Wool IL Especially VnIunnr,
Flock "f Mr.. John n. wing.
It's common saying that there's a
black sheep In every fiocS. and i'm a fl--
0rative sense no doubt this assertion "a
true That there are docks 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. II not the
most valuable. is that which was
left 10y the late Hon. Allen OF Braeside.
Queensland. Australia. This flock ia
composed entirely of Merlnos and WINS
established more than twenty years
ago by the deceased gentleman and
numbers 60 ewes ana twenty-five
rams. IL Is said that there is I'm our
own country flock OF black Shrop-
shires, but as we have no data Mt hand
concerning this flock we offer no COM
ment thereon other than that OF saving
that cases where Shropstires produce
black lambs must be extremely rare.
except Ii be In the case OF poorly bred
locks. for IL our experience OF years
or handling large nocks OF this breed.
Doth on their native heath and In this
country. we have never yet had an eve
bring forth black lamb. Further
more. we would not care to invest I'm n
ram from n flock that we knew Ind
produced one. II Is said that the i'm
mortal Bakewell kept Il black ram for
use IN his work OF improving the
Leicester. We have reasons for be-
heving rather than doubling this con-
tention. In Quebec the common stock
or the country appears To all intents
and purposes Tn be OF the pure Leicester
blood. and no doubt Il is, as the founda-
ton of that stock Is said TO be from an
early importation of that Azecd. The
locks are very uniform In type. but one
thing which drew our attention while
there was the large number of blaclx
individuals found I'm every flock. In
quite II number of eases - per cent OF
the flock was made up OF black sheep
In one case we noticed that no less
than 80 per cent were black or or n
very dark gray color. Whether or not
they had been selected and bred with
view OF establishing flock OF black
sheep we could not learn.
The only blnck flock coming under
our notice that has been bred with n
view or establishing pure bred flock
OF black sheep is that OF MIR John II.
Wing. Millbrook. y. Y While In this
flock there are individuals that are M
black ns the ace OF spades. there are
others TINT are not black ON the sur
face. but rather OF very dark gray.
IL should he mentioned. however. thnt
the under color OF the fleece tx almost
perfectly black Mr.. Wing IL To Ice com.
plimonted OH the progress lac has made
I'm regard to the establishment OF his
flock. and there tx but little doubt that
he VIII In the course OF few years Toe
the owner or n very valuable flock not
only from II curio point Of view, hut for
the reason thnt black wool IL worth con-
siderably more than the ordinary white
fleece. This value accrucs from the
great dcmnnd for that class Of wool I'm
Grcnt Britain and certain countries of
continental Europe. where Il Is used I'm
the manufacture OF gowns for certain
religious orders. which by their vows
are compelled To use undyod wooden
clothing