FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 275 



Conn., in 1840, and soon after by other distinguished gentlemen. Mr. John 

 D. Patterson, of Westfield, N. Y., was a breeder of these sheep, and sold quite 

 extensively to farmers in this and other Western States. A distinguishing 

 characteristic of this variety was their great size, yielding large fleeces of a fair 

 quality when highly fed and otherwise given the very best of care. Several 

 gentlemen of this county, among whom were John Keagle, of Allen ; Z. B. 

 Stilson, of Heading, and L. J. Thompson, of Hillsdale township, kept more or 

 less of these sheep, and exhibited some grand specimens on their farms and at our 

 agricultural fairs ; but these men were their own shepherds, giving their flocks 

 such treatment that they could not do otherwise than well under their care, 

 but when taken in charge by others who were inexperienced and negligent, 

 they rapidly declined. They were not sufficiently hardy to endure the coM 

 "weather of this climate under the limited care usually given to sheep by the 

 great mass of f arniers in this country, consequently they are giving place tO' 

 other breeds of fine-v;ooled sheep, formerly known as the Spanish, but now in 

 this country as the American merinos. 



Early in the jiresent century, and from time to time more recently, sheep 

 have been introduced into the United States from Spain, representing several 

 families mider the names of Infantados, Paulers, Silecians, etc. As early as 

 the year 1813 Stephen Atwood, of Woodbury, Conn., commenced a flock and 

 bred them purely of the Infantado division. He was succeeded by the late 

 Edwin Hammond, of Middlebury, Vt., and several other gentlemen of that 

 State. Under their supervision, and especially that of Mr. Hammond, who had 

 in his mind a model of what he wished to produce, and who worked hard and 

 long to obtain it, — breeding invariably for the accomplishment of his purpose, — 

 succeeded in converting the comparatively light-boned and imperfectly devel- 

 oped sheep into heavy, well-formed, short-legged, strongly constituted sheej?,. 

 with compact fleeces of increased weight and good quality. Hon. Charles Rich, 

 of Shoreham, Vt., commenced a flock in 1823 of the Pauler family. They 

 have been bred within that division by the original founder and his sons for 

 many years in Vermont, with but little admixture of other blood. They are- 

 snugly built, with good constitutions, and very hardy, with fleeces of good qual- 

 ity and quantity. At a period still later, — 1851, — William Chamberlain, of 

 Eed Hook, N. Y., established a flock known as the Silesians, which also were 

 formerly from Spain, were taken to Silesia and thence to the United States. 

 From what I can learn of them they are not as well adapted to hardships and 

 short keeping as the Paulers, although they are larger and yield a finer quality 

 of wool. The great number of fine wooled sheep now in the United States is- 

 made up to a great extent from the descendants of the flocks above mentioned, 

 which are rapidly increasing in inimbers from year to year, and large drovea- 

 are working westward to feed upon the extensive plains of that region. 



The long-wooled sheep, of which there are several varieties, had their origin,, 

 so far as I know, in England and Scotland. They have been kept quite exten- 

 sively in Canada and the United States, and they are not usually herded in as 

 large flocks as the merinos are. The improved Leicester and the Cotswold are 

 among the most important, and are furnishing the combing and delaine wools 

 which of late years are finding a ready market at paying prices. 



The Southdowns also claim a share of our attention. Tliey are short or mid- 

 dle-wooled sheep, and are among the best as a mutton-producing variety, being- 

 hardier, and show a disposition to fatten even on ordinary feed. 



The treatment and care of sheep have been, according to circumstances, under, 



