FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 21 



would have yielded an average of about 9 ibs., and 

 the ewes' fleeces, about 6^ Ibs. 



Trimmer described only the Koyal flock. It ap- 

 pears that it was already beginning to be outstripped, 

 in weight of fleece and size of carcass, by private 

 ones. On this subject I prefer to quote the language 

 of John A. Taintor, Esq., of Hartford, Connecticut, 

 by far the most extensive importer of French sheep 

 into the United States, and a gentleman long fami- 

 liar with all the National varieties of the Merino. 

 It will add to the interest of his remarks on this 

 subject to give his reasons for preferring the French, 

 and his criticisms on other varieties. I should say, 

 in justice to Mr. Taintor, that his letter to me, from 

 which I quote, was written in haste, on the eve of 

 a journey, and' with no expectation that I would 

 adopt its phraseology in making use of its facts. 

 But its terse and careless ofi-handedness does not de- 

 tract from its value. He writes (dated January 

 2d, 1862 :) 



" In 1828 I imported a lot of Saxony sheep, and, at 

 various times, have selected, in France, nearly one 

 thousand of their best Merinos. In 1842 my friend, 

 D. C. Collins, of this city (Hartford), bought, by my 

 advice, fourteen ewes and two rams of the Koyal flock 

 at Eambouillet. About half of them were good sheep, 

 but for want of care and attention the importation 

 was of but little value to the owner or the country. 

 " I cannot afford to keep any other 

 sheep (for wool) but French Merinos. I call them 

 best because they pay best, and that is the true test. 

 Not the sheep that can crawl through the year with 

 the least possible care and feed, but one generously 

 fed and cared for, and bred with close attention and 

 judgment, with always an eye for the most valuable 



