Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1884 — American Merino Sheep. [ARTICLE]

American Merino Sheep.

When tiie first prizes for Merino Aeep were awarded to American Merinos at the International Exposition at Hamburg, all Europe was astonished. The Yankee sheep took the prises over the best flocks of Europe, and they could not understand it After the first surprise was over, the European sheep-giowers, at the close of the exhibition, did the best possibly thing—they purchased the American Merinos, or “Vermont Merinos,” as they were generally called, for the improvement of their flocks, at what was then an unusual price. The American Merinos are the result of several importations, made early in the present century from Spain, and included animals from the Paular, Infantado, Negretti, and other celebrated flocks, regarded aa the finest in Spain. Of these early importations, some were lost sight of, or “run out,” through careless breeding. Others were bred with great care, and by crossing with other pure flocks, under our climate and with no doubt better feeding, they gradually developed, perhaps unintentionally on the part of tiie breeders, into a distinct family of the Merinos now known as the American. The superiority of the American over the best European families of Merinos is shown, in the first place, in its greater size and weight. While the rams of the most noted of the Spanish flocks range from sixty to one hundred pounds—this last weight rarely reached—the American Merino rams run to one hundred and twenty pounds, and upward to one hundred and eighty pounds. These large weights .are accompanied by shorter peck and legs, and increased width of lain and, what is most important, a great increase in the weight of fleece. Some flockß have averaged ten pounds of washed wool, and individual rams have greatly exceeded this weight. The American Merino is marked by strong folds and wrinkles, and some flocks have been bred with a view to these. It is a common impression that excessive wrinkles indicate purity of breed and fineness of wool, and breeders have endeavored to meet the prevailing taste for heavily wrinkled sheep. Those who look to the best returns in wool do not approve of excessive wrinkles, as they increase the difficulty and the cost of shearing. Breeders differ as to the amount of yolk desirable ixf the wool, and this is sometimes excessive. Fashion has much to do with both yolk and wrinkles; the present tendency is to reduce the amount of both. The American have been found to be superior to any of the European Merinos for improving the flocks of Australia. A few months ago an Australian flock-master called upon us, said that the sole object of his visit to this country was to purchase American Merino rams. He attributed the great improvement which has lately been manifested in Australian sheep, to the introduction of American Merinos. We notice that English agricultural writers speak of the improvement in Australian sheep by the introduction of Merino rams, but they fail to state that it is due to the American rams. In sheep-raising, as in many other branches of agriculture, Australian* and New Zealanders look to America for aid and rather than to the mother country. —American Agriculturist.