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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1880)
July, 1880. THE IMPROVEMENT OP MERINO SHEEP. The timo U approaching whon tho wool grower's mind turns naturally toward the in creaae of his Hook. The improred wool prices have brought new life to the industry, and this should furnish ground for adopting riioasures of We have it in mind to emphasize this point by showing, both by illustration and text, the gratifying results which have boon attained by oareful and persevering effort toward producing a higher type of a wool-yielding animal. The lesson which we would enforoe could be well learned by anyono who would take the pains to compare the ordinary grade Merinos of the State with the thoroughbred Merinos on our laading sheep-breeding farms, and we hoie all who are interested in the subject will apply this test for themselves. Hut for accurate data of tho steps in the development of the wool ipial ities in the Morino, we can best go to the National shoepfold, of ltambouillet, wboro for nearly 100 years systematic effort for improve ment of sheep has been put forth under the supervision of the French government The enterprise at Ramlmuillot was begun in 178(1, and the stock was procured from ten of the best Spanish llocks, selected under the authority of the King of Spain. The style of ram whioh was then secured in Spain is shown in the engraving, Fig. 1. The engraving, as also its companion, Kig. '2, was made from draw ingsexecuted by tho order of the French govern ment to enable the managers of the sheepfold to have constantly in mind the form ami char acteristics gained in the successive steps of their breeding. We reproduce them from the Roport of tho U. S. Department of Agrioulture. Pig. '1 shows the style of ram attained in 1H73, ana as one views tho two engravings in con trast, it is olear that a most wonderful develop mi nt of wool-yielding surface has been secured. Not only has the form boon well oxjisuded, and the length of wool increased, but the nearly bare belly, legs and face of the old sheep has been turned into productive territory in its re mote offspring. These are tho chief traits in the improvement of the Marino, whether gained by tho French or by the breeders in our own country, and added to them is tho not less valu able triumph in the securing of a quality of wool far lupenor to ancient styles. Much tatter wool and much more of it: more iHiunds to the sheep and more money to the DOtod those are the practical results 01 merino improvement. The latest information concerning tho achieve moots in sheep breeding at Itainhouillet is pub lished in tho Jlullrlin ofthr National Auociatian qj Wool Manufacture, Hoston, IN80. It secured bv W. J. Markham, President of New York State Wool Orowcrs' Association, who has just returned from a tour around the world and a visit to the Unions hoiks anrnail Mr. Markham obtained from tho Director of the National French Sheepfold an accurate state ment drawn from the well-preserved records of the establishment. From this o shall draw incuts by which to measure the improvement whioh may be seen at a glance in the engravings iiiMin tins nauo. The weight of the rams in 1 7H7. being of tho style shown in Pig. I, was 50 to 55 kilograms', with the wool on. The weight of the ewes at that time was 30 to 40 kilograms, lu I87H, the weiaht of the rams was 7- kilograms; that of the owe, M kilograms. Reducing to Hunds avoirdupois, it is seen that the rains hail gainnl nearly 50 pounds, and the ewea about 35 pounds in weight The fleeee of the rams in 1787 weighed about four kilograms; the ewea three and one half kilograms. In 1878. the rams' fleooea averaged seven and one-half kilograms; the ewea five kilograms. Kedacing again t imunds we Hod that the ram lleecea hail gained seven isuuida and the ewes more than three DMMfc Concerning the length and ws vines of tho wool there is also data for comparison. In 1787, the wool of the rams was 53.9 miili- A kiliwran Is two and oris flli -und svutnluH tuns miiuuMUr Is .UM Mb meterst in length; in 1878 it was tk).'.':i milli meters. Reducing to inches, we find tho rams' wool was '2.3 inches long in 1787 and '2.7 inohea in 1878. Account was also taken of the undu lations or wavoe in the filler, lu I7S7, there were 15.3.1 undulstions to the centimeter; 111 1878, 15.73 iu the samo length. To Taw! M11.K fou Watkk.-A Herman Hkatinu CirtM nv SrnAM. The Huston Journal of t'omim ivr is in favor of steam heat ing, and lor these among many other reaaous: "The coat of it as compared with tho present o . ailed ayatcin, is iiiaignitlcant being any where from one-twelfth to one-quarter. Pur power, it has been proved that it oui furnish it limit .0 to oO, anything up to IA Off .Hi-horse for what a man can keep Ins own engineer and Eswsssbbs HPPW'aB spPWP'TWr HO, I. ItAMItom I.I.KP RAM OP I7N7. hemist furnishes a very simple procedure for testing the amount of water in milk, which can lie applied hy anyone. All that is required la a smsll quantity M gypsum (plaster of Paris), say one ounce. This is mixed with the mill, to a stilf paste, and then allowe I to stand. With a milk of I.IKIII ipteUkl gravity, and a temHirature of Ml l ahr. , it will harden in 10 hours; if '25 furnish his own fuel for, and the steam is alwaya ready, night or day. The gas companies, horse railroads, and the pmpeity owners some of them are always found to ho ready to light any innovation on tin ir 'rights;' yet we presume the people of Huston, as Well aa of many other cities, will sooner or later come to this common sens Way of doing business. Haltlmore is already oV J, , a , ff" ' 1A u (V "T - j iVtHHsHsValLi rw KKMUfw6uM!i ssWliilCfc iLwl Isf PKi. '2 RAMHOl'II.I.F.T RAM OK IH73. of water is present already, in two hours; if M , in one and a half hours; and with 71 . m 30 minutes, skimmed milk which has hren standing fur '.'t hnurs, and is of I ll.'l.'l specific gravity, aeta in four hours; with M of water, in one hour; ami with 75 ., in 30 minutes. Heat should not he applied, as then thn us of the thermometer would In 1. , u 1 r . I I his test is certainly very simple and not cosily. putting in thee works, and estimates and susei. ii ali ma are made for two other title whuifi wo arc aware of, and we ho), sooner or later to see the conservative men of II ntu lake the matter up and make a busiiwaa of it" Til a hi brawl of whales reported to have mails their appearance in the Arctic seas are larger and tamer thau the old whale.