78 FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDKY. 



4. I do not intend specially to classify under this head, 

 and attempt to describe, any separate family. Chan- 

 cellor Livingston's flock, I have understood, was pre- 

 served by his descendants until about 1840, and for 

 aught I know, later. Of its later history and character 

 I know nothing. There were a number of breeders 

 in all the Northern and Eastern States, who com- 

 menced flocks with imported Spanish Merinos. Most 

 of them crossed with the Saxons after 1824, and lost 

 the Spanish characteristics. But there were excep- 

 tions in probably nearly every state where the Merino 

 was established. I know of several such instances in 

 New York, but the flocks have not attained sufficient 

 excellence to deserve special mention now, or they 

 have been so crossed with other flocks and particu- 

 larly with those classified under the three preceding 

 heads as to retain no distinct and separate family 

 character. Most of the early flockmasters of New 

 York were men of large possessions, and were rather 

 wool growers than breeders. In other words, the 

 production of wool was the primary consideration 



that it was a subject on which they had a right to be heard, I read 

 to them the preceding descriptions of their sheep as they were 

 twenty years ago ; my account of the results of crossing these fami- 

 lies (presently to appear), and, indeed, every thing pertaining to their 

 sheep in this paper, except the references to and descriptions of their 

 present individual flocks, which I did not read, which, indeed, were 

 not then written. 



I solicited these gentlemen to correct my statements wherever 

 they thought I had fallen into error, apprising them that if after such 

 an invitation they should fail to do so, they, as much as myself, would 

 be committed to the accuracy of my assertions. No corrections wore 

 offered, but on the contrary, Messrs. Hammond, Rich, "Wright, and 

 others expressed their unqualified affirmative assent to those asser- 

 tions. 



