Identifier: sheepbreedingwoo00benn (find matches)
Title: Sheep breeding and wool growing in Virginia
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Bennett, Frank P., ed
Subjects: Sheep
Publisher: (Boston) Norfolk & Western Railroad Co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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aswhere they were clustered the thickest, and where good care, feed, and man-agement brought them rapidly out of their comparatively low standard.As originally imported from Spain, these sheep were rather ungainly inshape. The legs and faces were bare of wool, horns scraggy, fleeces open;i.e., lacking in density and shearing light fleeces. In 1850 the average weightof fleece of the sheep of Vermont w^as 3 pounds, 5; ounces; of the UnitedStates, 2 pounds, 6; ounces. The largest increase of the average weight offleeces in Vermont appears to be between 1850 and 1870, and is regarded asa strong argument in favor of the cultivation of the- heavy shearing, greasymerinos, which are the animals which have raised the American shearingstandard to its present position. In 1860 he fleeces of the sheep of Ver-mont had increased to 4 pounds, 2^ ounces, as is chronicled in the recordsof the Vermont Merino Shtep Breeders Association, and the average fleecoof the United States to 2 pounds, 10; ounces.
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DISPERSION OF TIIK MERINO. With the opening of the llebelliou came an active request for all theproducts of the farm and factory, and a consequent stimulation of sheep-breeding throughout tlie country at once occurred. Many were the car-loads of thoroughbred merinos, from tlie best of Vermont flocks, that werepulled westward into the States of Ohio, )\Iichigan, Wisconsin, and otherwool-growing sections, and dispersed for the improvement of grade flocks.The desirability of crossing on this class of sheep was at once seen; andduring 1877 there were shipped from one station alone in Vermont 29i-carloads, averaging over 100 head in each. On )\larch 2;^, lb7G, the Vermont JMerino Sheep Breeders Associationwas formed, the object being to preserve the purity of the Spanish merinorace of sheep, and to encourage further improvement. The success of thisassociation led to the formation of those of a like character in other States,and the good work they have done is everywhere evident. During the

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