VAEIETIES OF SHEEP AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS. 1033 



XIX. The Rich Merinos. 



These were originally descended from the pure Paulai*s of Spain, and 

 by careful breeding and selection were much improved by Mr. Silas Rich, 

 of Vermont, and by his son. Thus the American Merinos originated 

 from the choicest families from the herds of Spanish grandees, at the 

 time of their confiscation and sale by the Spanish government, about 

 1809. Hon. Wm. Jarvis, at that time United States Consul at Lisbon, 

 bought 3,500 sheep from the flocks of the Paulars, Negrettis, Agueirres 

 and Montarcos. The flocks of these grandees are said to have amounted 

 to an aggregate of 50,000 sheep. The animals bought by Mr. Jarvis 

 were the cream of Spanish flocks, and with the Infantados, make up the 

 five families which constitute the ground-work of the American Merinos, 

 now acknowledged to be the most valuable fine-wooled sheep in the 

 world. 



Thus we possess the descendants of the Infantados, large, compact, 

 rather long bodied, and the descendants of the Paulars, smaller but exceed- 

 ingly rich in all that constitutes fine wool — two well marked families that 

 would be injured by the infusion of foreign blood, from whatever source 

 it might come. 



XX. About Sheep in General. 



In Great Britain the breeding and feeding of sheep has been second in 

 importance only to that of cattle. Since the settlement of Australia and 

 the other British dependencies, the breeding of fine-wooled sheep in 

 England has been almost entirely abandoned, and long, medium and 

 short-wooled sheep — valuable as well for mutton as for their fleeces — 

 have taken their place, leaving to the United States, and to the British 

 colonies, the almost exclusive breeding of fine-wooled sheep — Saxony, 

 Silesian, and French and Spanish Merinos. This production has grown 

 into great magnitude, owing to the fact before stated, that these Merinos 

 may be kept in immense flocks, and to the added reason, that, in Aus- 

 tralasia and in Texas, New Mexico, and the great American plains east of 

 the Rocky mountains, there are vast ranges of country where stock of all 

 kinds may be herded at a minimum cost. 



The sheep of the world are estimated at 600,000,000 head, yielding 

 2,000,000,000 pounds of wool annually. Of this number Great 

 Britain has 35,000,000 sheep, shearing annually 218,000,000 pounds of 

 wool. This wool is principally of long, middle and short staple, but is 

 not what is known as fine wool. The rough wool, medium fine to coarse, 

 but not uniform in its texture, is produced in South America and Mexico 

 from 58,000,000 sheep, yielding annually 174,000,000 pounds of wool; 

 in North Africa, with 20"!oOO,000 sheep yielding 45,000,000 pounds; and 



