28 WISCONSIN AGEICULTUEE. 



ish, and the crosses produced by the two, what we call " half- 

 bloods, i. e. half French and half Spanish Merinos. 



The French Merinoes were first introduced into America in 

 the year 1846, by J. A. Tain tor, of Hartford, Connecticut. He 

 purchased them from two noted flocks then existing in France, 

 which have been bred, according to their records, over 70 years 

 with the greatest care and attention. They procured their ori- 

 ginal stock from Spain, and therefore are pure Merinoes. His- 

 tory then traces them to Italy, and glances at the idea that long 

 years ago they got their stock from the Barbary States in Africa. 

 As long ago as the days of Scipio, they were in the habit of 

 importing Eams from Africa, but doubtless at that date they 

 were ill bred and rather coarse. 



The French breeders by judicious management for a long 

 term of years in selecting their best Ewes, and using nothing 

 but extra Bucks, letting both mature before breeding from them, 

 have succeeded in getting a much larger carcass, with firmer and 

 heavier fleece, without deterioration to the quality of the wool. 



They possess a large, heavy chest, and are wooled from the 

 tip of the nose to their hoofs, and therefore thrive equally well in 

 cold as well as warm climates. I consider them, as far as my 

 experience has taught me, equal in constitution to any race of 

 sheep with which I am acquainted ; producing more wool and 

 raising more lambs than any other kind of fine wooled Sheep. 



I purchased my first French Sheep in the fall of 1846, of Mr. 

 Taintor, and have since purchased from every importation that 

 he has made. My flock consists, at present, of about 600 in all. 

 About two thirds are full blood French and their crosses, the 

 remainder are Spanish Ewes. As I have been breeding pure 

 Spanish Merinoes for about ten years, and I am rather loth to 

 give up my old Ewes, that have served me so well for so many 

 years, as I consider them inferior to none in our State; at pre- 

 sent I breed fi-om nothing but French Bucks, as I consider the 

 crosses far preferable to pure Spanish. We get a much larger 

 carcass and heavier fleece, combining the good qualities of 

 both breeds. The average of my French Ewes, well washed, is 

 about 10 lbs. per head; Bucks unwashed, from 17 to 24 lbs. per 

 head ; Half-bloods, well washed, average 7 lbs. per head ; Span- 



