STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



281 



of Vei^mont and New York. To Messrs. Curtis and McConncll, of Sac- 

 ramento County, belongs the credit of the first importation of the 

 Vermont, or generally designated, Spanish merino. Both these gentlemen 

 are now dead, but they lived to see and reap the fruits of their foresight. 

 Other importations of both French and Spanish merino stocks rapidly 

 followed, as also of Cotswold, Leicester, and Southdown. Large num- 

 bers of Australian rams and ewes wei-e brought in. and all sold at 

 extreme prices. Before the year eighteen hundred and sixty there was 

 scarcely a flock in the State that had not some infusion of improved 

 blood from these importations, and the character of California wools 

 began to exhibit a j^ercentage of improvement scarcely less than the 

 increase in quantit}^ until, at the present da}', an unmixed flock of native 

 sheep is by far more rarely met than were improved flocks in eighteen 

 huncired and fiftj^-six. 



"A glance at our estimated wool clips for the past ten years will show 

 the rapid increase and the important position already attained, viz : 



Estimated product of vjool in pounds. 



Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 

 Eighteen 



hundred and fifty-four... 

 hundred and fifty-five.... 



hundred and fifty-six 



hundred and fifty- seven, 

 hundred and fifty-eight., 

 hundred and fifty-nine... 



hundred and sixty 



hundred and sixty-one... 

 hundred and sixtj'-two... 

 hundred and sixty three 



175,000 

 360,000 

 600,000 

 ,100,000 

 ,428,350 

 ,378,250 

 ,260,000 

 ,600,000 

 ,530,000 

 ,857,000 



"In eighteen hundred and fifty the census reported our wool product 

 at about five thousand pounds ; but it was not until eighteen hundred 

 and fifty-four that it attained sufficient magnitude to obtain notice in 

 the list of exports. That year we shipped one thousand one hundred 

 and twenty-seven bales. The following table shows the extent, in bales, 

 of our exports for each year since, viz : 



Export of ivool in hales. 



Eighteen hundred and fifty-five.... 



Eighteen hundred and fitty-six 



Eighteen hundred and fifty-seven. 

 Eighteen hundred and fifty-eight.. 

 Eighteen hundred and fifty-nine... 



Eighteen hundred and sixty 



Eighteen hundred and sixty-one... 

 Eighteen hundred and sixty-two .. 

 Eighteen hundred and sixty-three 



2,487 



3,924 



6,664 



6,496 



10,570 



12,082 



15,984 



22,113 



18,146 



36 



