The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-09

Ioi ineAico, new MEXICO, Ucan ano
Texas. Of all the continental breeds of
medium tailed sheep, as distinct from
fat tailed (Palestine) and long tailed
sheep, the best known and the most
cultivated is the Merino, originally a
native of Spain. In the latter part of
the 18th century the Spanish flocks
produced more wool than the factories
of the country could make up, and the
surplus was sold and exported.
Merinos Predominate.
Through breeding certain tendencies
are suppressed, others exaggerated, and
under natural wild conditions there is
no occasion for ten pound fleece. In
1886 the French government imported
from Spain 3S3 selected Spanish Merin-
os. These sheep were kept at Rambou-
lette. Careful breeding and liberal
feeding greatly improved their mutton
form. Both the weight of the fleece
and the weight of the carcasses have
been increased from 100 to $50 pounds
over the old Spanish Merino. This
breed has not been specially prominent
in the United States until the last 90
years. Full grown rams of this breed
will weigh up to 225 pounds, ewes ITS
pounds. The American Ramboulette
Sheep Breeders Association was organ
lied at Pontiac, Michigan, in 1889. The
number registered in 1906 was 34,075.
Baron Won Homyer, in Germany, bred
from some French Ramboulette. Sheep
from this flock, brought to the United
States in the sos and '90s, are wide
ly distributed. The International Won
Homyer Ramboulette Club have about
300 registered sheep. There are more
Merinos in the United States than all
the other breeds combined Twenty
five years ago they constituted nearly
95 per cent of the flocks of the United
States. A decline in the price of wool,
growing taste for mutton, and at this
date, 1908, the Merino does not make
mp more than rs per cent of the flocks
of the U. s.
The American Merino.
Is one of the smallest breeds of the
United States. The ewes at maturity
weigh from 90 to l25 pounds; the bucks
in good condition, from 140 to 175
pounds, while the fleece weighs from
10 to Is pounds. 1t is the hardest
sheep in the U. s. and can be herder in
flocks of thousands, while mutton
breeds cannot be handled in flocks of |
over 200. OF the various breeds pro.
duced by crossing, we have the Della
tine Merino, the Standard the National |
and the Improved Merino. Related in
their leading characteristics are the
Blacktop Spanish Merino, the Imported
Blaektop Merino and the Dickenson. |
All Delaine Merinos have horns and
more or less wrinkles or folds about the |
neck and breast. Blacktop Merinos
have horns, but no wrinkles, and their
fleeces is more black. Dckenson, or
poiled Merinos, have neither horns nor
wrinkles. Mexican Merinos are descen-
dants of Spanish floeks and have beer |
bred in Mexico without cross or i'm
provement for 200 years. The New
Mexico Merinos, graded up from Old
Mexico ewes and American Merino
rams, are the stock of which the New
Mexico and southern Colorado flocks
are composed.
From review of these facts of his
tory, and review of the figures given,
it is easily seen that the Rambouette.
OF French branch of the Merino family,
is very much the most profitable all
around combination Of the three ma
lions who lead in number Of sheep For
fine wool Australia leads the world.
1910, Australia (all breedss 92 2,047 ,0l5
1908, Argentine Republic {ail
breeds) .....-.,-...--.-.-...,.-,-.-.67,2 Ell, ,754
1902 United States lall
breeds) -...............--.......~...57, ,206, 900