LECTURE NO. 8. 



TUNIS SHEEP THEIR ORIGIN AND HISTORY, CHAR- 

 ACTERISTICS AND STANDARD POINTS. 



ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 



I. The Tunis sheep, as the name would indi- 

 cate, came originally from Tunis, in Northern Africa. 



(1) In their native home they are what may be termed 

 a mountain or semi-mountain breed. 



(2) They feed upon the ranges southward to the desert 

 and eastward to Algeria. 



II. Origin of the breed. 



(1) Their earliest origin is lost in the obscurity of a 

 distant past. 



(2) They fed upon those ranges before the commence- 

 ment of the Christian era. 



III. When imported into the United States. 



(1) The first and only importation was made, it has been 

 claimed, in 1799. 



(2) In that year a few specimens were shipped to the 

 United States by or through Gen. William Eaton, who was 

 then United States consul at Tunis. 



(3) Only one male and one female survived the voyage, 

 and these are the progenitors of all the Tunis sheep now 

 found in the United States. 



IV. Progress in the United States. 



(1) The original pair were placed on the farm of Judge 

 Richard Peters near Philadelphia. 



(2) They and their grades multiplied until the neigh- 

 boring counties were well stocked with them. 



V. Hindrances to rapid extension. 



(i) The dominance of the fine wool interests operated 

 against the rapid extension of the breed southward, and 



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