These Ewes, with Ram "Centennial," were awarded the Grand Prize offered for "the Best Flock of American Merino Sheep of any age," exhibited at the Centennial, Philadelphia, 1876.

marked degree these various excellences, and from which the undesirable qualities of some of them have been eliminated.

Some of the improvements that have been accomplished will now be noticed. The sheep as imported from Spain sheared only about 7 per cent. of unwashed wool to live weight of carcass; indeed, selected specimens rarely exceeded that, while the average yield was much less. At the present time whole flocks shear more than twice as much, and the best specimens from 20 to 30 per cent. of wool. In some extreme cases there has been 35 per cent. of unwashed wool to live weight of carcass, the growth of one year.

Three selected imported rams, at a public shearing in 1810, gave a yield of 7 per cent. of unwashed wool to live weight, while those selected rams shorn in Vermont within five years gave a yield of 31, 37 and 35 lbs. of unwashed wool, that, after thoroughly scouring for the cards, weighed 8 lbs. 61⁄2 ounces, 9 lbs. 11 ounces, and 8 lbs. 13 ounces; the live weights of carcass of these three rams after shearing was 108 lbs., 147 lbs. and 121 lbs. This would give 27 per cent. of unwashed, and 7 per cent., of cleansed wood to live weight; the latter it will be observed is the same per cent. of cleansed wool as was given of unwashed wool by the three rams that were imported. Twenty-one rams, from which fleeces or samples were taken to send to the last Exposition at Paris, gave 22 per cent. of unwashed wool to live weight; nine of this number, whose live weights averaged 1201⁄2 lbs., gave an average yield of a little over 29 pounds each, or a per cent. of 24 to live weight of carcass.

Forty-six ewes, from which fleeces or samples were sent to the same Exposition, cut nearly the same per cent. of wool to live weight; grouped with the twenty-one rams, the whole gave 22 per cent. These sheep were all bred in Vermont. The excellence of their wools is found in the fact that they drew two gold medals, one silver medal, éight bronze medals and two honorable mentions.

One of the gold medals was awarded to the fleece of a ram five years old, which weighed 311⁄2 lbs., cleansed for the cards 9 lbs. 3 oz. The same ram at three years old cut 371⁄2 lbs. unwashed fleece, cleansed 9 lbs. 11 oz.; live weight after shearing, 147 lbs. Other rams, weighing less in carcass, have given a larger per cent. of wool than this one.

The careful and thorough manner in which these fleeces have been cleansed should remove any impressions that may have been entertained in regard to the vast increase in amount of wool. It should not be entertained that the great fleeces have been accomplished at the expense of amount of cleansed wool. Other careful investigations and measurements from many fleeces, and from different parts of the same fleeces, prove that, with this vast increase of wool, a very material improvement in fineness and evenness of fleece has been accomplished.

A breeder of Western New York had the fleeces of his whole flock carefully cleansed; the result was a yield of over four pounds of cleansed wool per fleece-an amount larger than was obtained of unwashed wool from the average of these sheep when imported from Spain. While it is certain that the gross amount of fleece has been so largely increased, records of the yield of unwashed and cleansed fleeces produced by the Merinos imported from Spain compared with those obtained at the present time from their descendants, as improved by the skill of our breeders, assisted by most favorable conditions of climate, soil and location, prove that the ratio of increase has been quite as great in cleansed wool as in gross amount of fleece.

This natural oil or yolk is a very important assistant in obtaining this increase of wool, as well as of great value to preserve the strength of fibre, elasticity, felting qualities and beauty of fleece.

Our best and most intelligent breeders, those that have accomplished the greatest improvements, believe that wrinkles are absolutely essential, especially in the stock

rams, to keep pace with the improvements assured and advance to those not yet attained, but are more than possible in the future. Some breeders that are making marked improvements in their flocks are using rams with excessively wrinkled skins; on the tops of some of these wrinkles in old age will be found jar hairs, yet these rams produce through their offspring remarkably beautiful, lustrous fleeces, and, what is of great consequence to the flock-master, fleeces of great weight that return him large profit. The absence of oil and crimp in the wool on these wrinkles gives appearance to the naked eye of a harshness and coarseness that careful microscopic examinations, measurements and tests prove to be erroneous; while in most cases there is a slight difference in the size of the fibres from these wrinkles, and the body of the fleece, it is so slight as to make no difference in its intrinsic value for all common clothing fabrics. In some cases there proves to be no difference in the fineness of the wool on the wrinkles, and in the body of the fleece accurate microscopic measurements have proved this to be the case-in the fleeces of rams, shearing nearly 30 pounds of unwashed, that gave nearly nine pounds of cleansed wool.

["Centennial," with four ewes, was awarded the Grand Prize offered for "the Best Flock of American Merino Sheep, of any age," exhibited at the Centennial, Philadelphia, 1876.]

Fibres from many fleeces have been measured, proving that as great improvements have been made in the quality as in the quantity of these fleeces from the heavy wooled Merinos of the United States, the finest approximating to, even rivaling, the finest fleeces from the light-shearing descendants of the old Saxony race of Merinos.

The much greater strength of fibres in the heavy oily fleece gives it a greater advantage in value over the lighter, while the profit to the raiser is several times greater, even though he may obtain a less price per pound for his wool.

A couple of intelligent Australians, after looking over several flocks of our improved Merino sheep, and examining their fleeces, said to the writer of this: "While our wools are in demand, and we get prices for our best somewhat larger than you, we are obliged to confess that you are receiving two or three times as much money for one of your fleeces as we are for one of ours.

Recent thorough experiments made in cleansing fleeces selected by Australian gentlemen as the best grown in their country with selected fleeces from our Merino sheep grown in Western New York, resulted in a yield of double the amount of cleansed wool and value of the American over. the Australian. I have not the exact figures at hand, but a fleece of a Western New York ram, weighing nearly thirty pounds unwashed, gave about eight and one-half pounds of cleansed wool, while a fleece from an Australian ram, shrinking about the same per cent., gave only half as much cleansed wool as the New York ram. The shrinkage of the ewe's fleece from Australia was less than from the Australian ram, but the yield of cleansed wool was proportionately smaller. The result altogether demonstrated a greater value to the manufacturer of the heavy Merino fleeces of this country in proportion to their market price over the Australian wools.

As these improvements have steadily advanced and the Merino blood become more generally diffused in the United States, the average weight of wool per head has increased. During ten years, from 1860 to 1870, the average weight had increased one pound and thirteen ounces per fleece.

The greatest and most rapid improvement in these sheep having been made in the Eastern States, and notably in Vermont, has caused great demand for them in the Western and Southwestern States and in the Territories, and they have become scattered through those sections adapted to fine wool-growing, though in many of those States and Territories there are as yet but few flocks representing the advanced improvements. There are about three hundred and fifty registered flocks in Vermont, one hundred or more in Ohio, about the same number in Michigan, about sixty in New York, fifty or more in Wisconsin, and smaller numbers in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kansas, Colorado and Texas.

There are already six associations that have either issued, or are preparing to issue, registers of these sheep. The Vermont Merino Sheep Breeders' Association has issued one volume with records, pedigrees and histories of two hundred flocks, and is preparing a second volume for which over three hundred flocks have been accepted in addition to those accepted for the first. The Vermont Atwood Club has a membership of about fifty, and has accepted nearly that number of flocks to be recorded in their first volume to be issued in the near future.

The New York Association has already issued its first volume, in which are pedigrees of about forty flocks, and is preparing to issue its second volume, in which an additional number of flocks will be recorded. An association in Ohio issued the first volume or register of the sheep ever published; it had histories of sixty-two flocks. It has not since grown as fast as some of the younger associations, but I am informed it is preparing to publish a second volume. An association in Michigan has a large membership, has accepted nearly a hundred flocks, and promises to soon issue a register. A vigorous association in Wisconsin has a good membership, and has accepted quite a number of flocks for record, and it is presumed will soon issue a register.

These several associations are doing a most useful work by investigating the histories of these flocks of sheep, and determining the justice of their claims to be recorded as pure-bred Merinos descended unmixed from the importations from Spain. Since this work has been done, those who would wish to purchase these sheep have assurance that they have in these registers protection against fraud and imposition; as a conse

quence, the demand for this blood to start new flocks and improve old ones has greatly increased and the prices greatly enhanced. Selected ewes sell in many instances as high as one hundred dollars each, and in some cases as high as three hundred, and in some extreme cases, for very choice ones, even higher; selected rams from one hundred to five hundred, and some superior celebrated rams from one thousand to two thousand dollars. In the North-Eastern States, where these improvements commenced, and where, favored by great natural advantages, they have been carried to the greatest extent yet attained, there has been very active demand for breeding stock. During the year 1880 over sixty car loads, containing 5,965 of these improved Merino sheep, were sent West and South-West from one railway station in Vermont, and smaller numbers from smaller stations in other parts of the State, though this being the central point of shipment in the midst of the section of the State where these flocks are most numerous, these car-loads probably embrace more than half the number sent from the State during the year.

"BISMARCK,"

Winner of the SWEEPSTAKES at the Centennial, Philadelphia, 1876, for "the Best American Merino Ram of any age."

As these sheep become known there is first a demand for the poorer rams at moderate but remunerative prices, to cross upon the grade flocks of our Western States and Territories. The produce from this cross is a great improvement upon the old sheep of those sections in weight of fleece as well as in quality of wool. The improvement is more marked as the number of crosses is increased. As the improvements become greater, a better and higher priced class of rams is demanded; this has been the case from the first, and the nearer Western States now demand sheep-both rams and ewes. -of the highest type of excellence to improve flocks already established and found new ones representing the highest grade of improvement yet attained, and for these highly remunerative prices are paid to the breeders. ALBERT CHAPMAN.