404 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



F. E. Eager, of Howell^ has a flock of pure Van Homeyer sheep founded 

 in 1890. He is a careful and expert breeder, having rams in his flock 

 weighing 300 pounds. 



The impressive power of these sheep is to be observed for ten gen- 

 erations on crosses made on any other breed, so strong are all their char- 

 acteristics. Their great value and increasing demand are so well known 

 on the western ranges of the United States as to need no other recom- 

 mend. 



MICHIGAN FLOCKS. 



The highest standard flocks of Michigan today trace the origin of their 

 sheep in unbroken lines and undoubted purity and accuracy to 



RAMBOUILLET FRANCE. 



The first importation of these sheep made to the United States was by 

 our minister to France, Kobert R. Livingston, in 1802, and placed on his 

 farm at Clermont on the Hudson in New York. 



Mr. Taintnor of Connecticut and New York made an importation in 

 1854, and did more subsequently to advance this race of sheep than all the 

 previous importers. 



Hon. W. G. Markham. of New York, imported a few in 1886, has made 

 several importations since, and has a flock now that has no superior in 

 the United States. 



At the fold of Rambouillet U. S. A., at Orchard Lake, Mich., founded 

 by Baron F. Van Homeyer. the two lines of Rambouillet flock have been 

 united, namely. Van Homeyer of Prussia and Victor Gilbert of France, 

 producing the largest, hardiest, best formed and wooled sheep in the 

 world. As both originated at the government fold at France, it unites 

 the old lines of blood that have been kept separate for more than thirty 

 years, producing a phenomenal race as to size, form and constitution, 

 and wool of the highest quality possible to be produced, animals of per- 

 fect covering, and wool from the nose to the hoof. 



It looks as if the Rambouillet sheep, during the next quarter of a cen- 

 tury, would become a great factor in the wealth producing animals of 

 Michigan, sales of those sheep now annually reaching hundreds of thou- 

 sands of dollars, going to every state and territory in the Union, and if 

 not already done, will, in a few years, place Michigan at the head of the 

 wool producing states. 



