FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 71 



In 1845, Mr. Stephen Atwood wrote to the author 

 of the American Shepherd, that his flock consisted of 

 150 half ewes and half rams, and wethers ; that his 

 ewes yielded 5 Ibs. of washed wool per head, and his 

 lambs an equal amount ; that his wethers yielded six 

 pounds, and his rams from seven to nine pounds ; that 

 his heaviest ewe's fleece in the preceding spring was 

 6 Ibs. 6 oz., and the heaviest ram's fleece 12 Ibs. 4 oz. 



It is my impression that several other small flocks, 

 whose product of wool was published at that period, 

 yielded about the same amount; but none of those 

 statements are at hand. 



Many of the Saxon breeders strove to shut their 

 eyes -to such facts as the preceding. They called 

 loudly for more discriminating prices from the manu- 

 facturers, and for high protective tariffs from the 

 Government. The first did not come ; the last did 

 not remain. The financial crash of 1837 carried the 

 price of Saxon wool absolutely below a remunerative 

 point. There was a very brief rally towards the 

 close of 1839, but it again sunk to the non-remunera- 

 tive point, and has never since regained it. From 

 that period the difference in the prices of Saxon and 

 Spanish Merino wool has not usually exceeded five or 

 eight cents per pound. After that failure of our 

 broadcloth manufacturers which followed the tariff of 

 1846, the breeders of Saxons gave up all hope, and 

 rapidly relinquished their flocks or crossed them with 

 other breeds or varieties. 



