334 



A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



sometimes made, consisting of the fine-wool, or Merino, class 

 and the mutton breeds. This last arrangement, however, 

 is more commonly referred to by shepherds than by wool 

 dealers. There are many different breeds of sheep, some 

 of which are but little known in America, and the following 

 are the only ones of importance in this country. 



The Merino is a very old breed that had its important 

 early development in Spain. Here for centuries the monks 

 and wealthy people owned large flocks that were noted for 

 their very fine wool. As long ago as the first century, the 



sheep of Spain 

 were famous, 

 and the manu- 

 facture of wool 

 into beautiful 

 cloth was a great 

 industry in that 

 country in the 

 thirteenth cen- 

 tury. When the 

 people of the 

 other European 

 countries learn- 

 ed of the fine 

 wool that was 

 produced there, they sent to Spain and obtained some of 

 the Spanish sheep. Specially selected flocks were taken to 

 Germany and France in the latter part of the eighteenth 

 century where they later met with much favor. 



The first Merinos were brought to the United States in 

 1793. Three head were smuggled out of Spain by William 

 Foster, of Boston. He gave them to a friend, who killed 

 them for meat, not knowing how valuable they were, until 

 he later paid $1,000 for a ram of the same breed. Seth 

 Adams of Massachusetts, later of Ohio, imported a pair in 



Figure 141. Merino ram, "Shorty." Of B type. Photo- 

 graph by the author. 



