Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-08-25

ment OF $griculture.)
AL the domestic sheep in America
have originated from importations,
most of which have been made from
European countries since the begin
ming of the Nineteenth century The
fine woods are found upon, the western
ranges and to lesser extent through
the Ohio fne-wool region. They are
undergoing some changes to improve
the carcass and increase the length of
wool; Some foreign blood is being
used to dc it; nevertheless these sec
tons may still be regarded as being
fine wool in character.
In Tennessee, Virginia and Ken
lucky, the spring lamb region of Amer
lea, Southdown rams are very popu-
lar Through the central farming sec
tons of the country the nedium-wool
breeds have taken possession, the long
woods largely being in locations more
favorable to them in the North and
Northwest, notably Canada, Utah,
Idaho, Montana and Oregon.
1t is not always possible to say that
there is one best breed for any sec
ton. There may be two or three that
would do equally as well, but it is
undeniable that some breeds are far
more suitable than others for a given
location. All the breeds have their
good qualities and most of them, if
properly handled, will give good re-
suits il some section of America. The
problem. is to get the ones best adapt
ed to particular conditions. Some
breeds have a larger number of high
class individuals than others, but a
truly successful breeder can improve
any of them.
AS rule, tut one breed should be
selected. Where there is more than
one breed upon a farm it is a difficult
matter to keep the gates all closed at
the proper time and prevent crossing.
If several farms are available more
breeds can be handled, hut the diff
culties in management are much in
creased. The most successful sheep
breeders in America handle but one
breed. The fact that there are more
breeds than in any other class of farm
animals may in itself make the selec-
ton of one breed rather difficult
Some of the deciding factors should
be climatic conditions, feeds available,
altitude, the particular line of the in
dustry to be followed, and popularity
of the breed in the section in which
the farmer is located.
The effect of climate is strikingly
illustrated in the evolution of the
sheep industry of the extreme North
west. The Willamette Valley in Ore
gon, now so famous for its long woods,
was once partly occupied by fine
wool sheep. The large amount of rain
fall, which comes in a long-continued
drizzle, caused the hay and weed
seeds that became lodged in the wool
to grow and become green upon the
sleeps back. The Merino breeds we're
decidedly out of place there. After a
time the Lincoln and other long wool
breeds were introduced and the in
dustry assumed a different aspect.
Their long locks act as thatch, car
rying the water off, and these breeds
thrive as they do in few places ex-
cept their native counties in England.
The kind OF feed produced is of i'm
por.ance. The large, breeds have been
veloped upon land that has produced
abundantly. They are capable of TAX
ing care of larger amount of feed,
such as the moist fertile lowlands pro-
duce. while the smaller breeds succeed
better upon the less abundant fare of
drier and less fertile pastures. There
is evidently some connection between
the general high quality of the smaller
breeds and the scanty, more nutritious
feeds that they receive under natural
conditions, If they are removed to
the lowlands they lose much of their
Characteristic type and quality.
The effect of altitude upon a breed
is also apparent, but how much of this
effect is due to the amounts and kinds
of feed it is difficult to determine. Ger
tain it is that the mountain breeds
are smaller, more active, more hardy,
and better able to care for themselves
than their lowland neighoors.
The Importance of hardness in the
mountain breeds was shown during
the last century along the Scottish
border. The Cheviot had for a num-
Der Of years been displacing the black
faced Highland breed because of its
finer quality OF wool and somewhat
better carcass. A number of severe
winters worked havoc among the
focks Of the former breed by caus-
ing a very heavy lamb loss, and the
Highland breed, because Of its hardi-
ness, came back into Its own.
Whether the breeder expects to spe-
cialiEe upon some particular line OF
sheep farming should likewise be in
strurnental in making a decision. II
winter LAMBS are to be produced a
breed must be secured that will breed
at the right season OF the year, and
not all will do this. The Dorset, Me-
rino and Tunis have given the best
satisfaction thus far.
The popularity of breed will often
have its effect in influencing ones de-
cision. Some breeds have been de-
yeloped under conditions that are
more general, or else they have
wider range of adartahility than 9TH
ers. The popularity OF sessral breeds
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