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AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL AssoCIATION.  309
fore, somewhat less than they would have been with bright
warm weather. Still there were about one hundred sheep
on the grounds, and a glance at our tabulated table printed
above, will show a most flattering comparison with the
showing of last year. The entire standard of both animals
and production is very materially raised, and breeders and
producers are to be congratulated upon the result.
The wool industry is fast forging to the front and as a
result the Central Wisconsin Sheep Breeders' and Wool
Growers' Association in their meeting for 1885, have scored
a record which is almost without parallel in the history of
any state in the Union. The number of fleeces taken was
fifty-seven, and the number of sheep represented by owners
on the grounds was way up in the thousands.
The best sheep on the grounds, if indeed he is not the best
which stands on hoofs in the world to-day, was the cele-
brated Merino Ram, bred by Mr. McConnell, sire Backus,
which tipped the beam at two hundred and one-half pounds
in the fleece, and produced a fleece weighing thirty-one
pounds, the staple measuring four and one-fourth inches and
grading one hundred. To this ram was awarded the first
premium, although there were others which held him a close
contest. The McConnell Bros. are among our heaviest sheep
growers, and their pens are filled with the finest blooded and
best class of wool growing animals which can be found in
the world.
These gentlemen also took second premium on their ram
bred by Sherwood, sired by Hailow, which turned off a
fleece of 29- pounds. Third premium was awarded to J. B.
Morrison, whose 265 pounds of avoirdupois was well-nigh
balanced by the ram which threw off a fleece of 2941 pounds.
Mr. Morrison has a herd of 190, mostly Merinos, which are
all bred up to a high grade. He is one of our wealthy farm-
ers, and is making a business of breeding full-blooded rams
for the market. Probably the next best animal on the grounds
was U. Wood's well known Farnsworth ram which took
first premium at the Oshkosh fair last year against eighteen
competitor, and walked away with the sweepstakes prize
for two consecutive years at the Ripon fair. The ram is