248 MERINOS. 



James McDowell in 1884, in which Dickinson breeders find their 

 authority to deny a Humphreys origin for the Black-Top sheep ; the 

 last statement is the one refered to : 



. " W. R. Dickinson, of Steubenville, Jefferson county, O., in the early part of this 

 century, commenced the breeding of a small flock of pure Merino sheep that were im- 

 ported from Spain in the year 1802 by Col. David Humphreys, of Derby, New Haven 

 county, Connecticut. These he secured through the agency of Thomas Rotch, an emi- 

 nent and enterprising citizen of Connecticut, who migrated from that state to Stark 

 county, O., in the early part of this century, bringing with him the first large flock of 

 Spanish Merinos into Ohio. 



"These sheep were bought direct of Col. Humphreys, which was learned by my 

 personal acquaintance with Mr. Dickinson, Thomas Rotch and his shepherd, John Hall, 

 who brought the sheep from Connecticut to Ohio. 



" The sheep which Mr. Dickinson secured were kept at Steubenville, O., for a few 

 years, and were the origin of his entirely pure-bred Merioos, descended directly from 

 sheep imported by Col. Humphreys from Spain in 1802. 



"These were distinctly marked, and separately kept. Mr. Dickinson stated in the 

 latter years of his life that he never sold any of the ewes descended from his own pure- 

 bred-flock, his sales being of ewes purchased throughout the country a grade of well- 

 bred Merino flocks or those descended therefrom, in which he dealt extensively." 



Dickinson Merinos, eligible to entry in the Dickinson Merino Sheep 

 Record, must trace their descent to the standard-bred flock of James 

 McDowell, Canton, Stark county, Ohio (without admixture of impure 

 blood), which flock, as we have already mentioned, was directly de- 

 scended from the Humphreys importation of 1802, through the famous 

 flock of W. R. Dickinson. 



The following, adopted by the Association, may be accepted as a 

 standard 



DESCRIPTION. 



"Body deep, round, wide and long, showing mutton capacity, good feeding and 

 thriving qualities, heavy, thick flesh, straight under and top lines, well proportioned, 

 filling every part of its skin when fully matured. Skin thick, soft, not raised in corruga- 

 tions, pink red. Head small, carried high. Quiet, placid eye. Nose white, not 

 mottled, covered with fine, soft white hair, wide and slightly arched. Ears, short, thick, 

 covered with fine, glossy hair. Horns small, neatly curved, light yellow color ; better 

 without any horns. Neck short, arched in under and on top, the base very strong. 

 Shoulders, wide, deep, rounded, breast bone projecting forward of front limb. Back 

 straight, wide, ribs extending out horizontally from spinal column, rounding in line with 

 shoulders, extending close back to hips. Loins strong, wide. Hips wide, long. Thighs 

 wide, thick flesh extending close down to hock joints. Limbs short, bone heavy, joints 

 smooth and flat, the contour of, to show perpendicular lines from elbow and stifle joints 

 to center of hoofs, and from base of tail to center of a straight line drawn horizontally 

 from caps of hock joints, when standing erect on limbs. Hoofs deep, thin, white ; tex- 

 ture tough and elastic. Fleece smooth, even, dense, soft to the touch. Staple three to 

 five inches, fibres glossy, crimped. Quality XX., XXX. or above, fine. Quantity, rams 

 15 to 25 Ibs , ewes 10 to 15 Ibs. unwashed wool, covering entire body with even length and 

 grade, except parts injuring thrift and comfort of sheep, entirely free from gum and 

 hair. Oil very fluid, white or nearly so, enough to preserve the wool and rising to outer 

 ends of fibres. Size of full grown rams 200 Ibs., and ewes 150 Ibs. Internal organs 

 strong. Mature early, -i 1 /?, years." 



