58 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



ure to accept the hospitalities of Mount Vernon. The best mutton of 

 the State was originally derived from the sheep of Curagao, imported 

 many years before and generally extended. The tail was considerd a 

 great delicacy, though not so large as that of the Barbary race. Wash- 

 ington had some fine descendants of this breed, and he mixed into his 

 flock some West India sheep, presented by a gentleman, Mr. Athol, of 

 Antigua 5 these sheep were perfectly hairy, much resembling deer, and 

 bearing delicious mutton. These tropical strangers soon lost their hair, 

 which was replaced by a soft wool. 



As far as their mutton-producing qualities were concerned, Washing- 

 ton's sheep could not be excelled by any south of Philadelphia, and it 

 was when he sought their improvement in the direction of wool that a 

 friend furnished the means of so doing. As early as 1791, there was, 

 in the vicinity of Baltimore, a remarkable breed of sheep, owing its ex- 

 cellence to the importation of Persian sheep and breeding from them 

 on the common sheep of the country. A gentleman of Baltimore 

 County, in a letter of October 19, 1791, says : " I have a remarkable 

 breed of sheep, which hath been produced by adding to my flock a Per- 

 sian ram. The other day I separated from the rest twelve wethers. 

 These I intend to kill this winter. They appeared so uncommonly fat 

 and large that I was induced to weigh them alive : 154, 177, 188, 181, 

 168, 157, 168, 174, 155, 172, 152, 169=2,015 pounds," or an average of 

 168 pounds. The name of the owner is not known, but supposed to be 

 Col. O'Donnell. Be this as it may, in 1797, Col. O'DonneU, of Balti- 

 more, or a Mr. Barry, presented Washington a Persian ram and ewe 

 imported direct from the East Indies. Washington bred from this ram 

 and ewe and also introduced the ram into his flock of fine sheep. 

 Death closed his career before he could give his countrymen the result, 

 but Thomas Diggs, one of his neighbors, gave his opinion that the 

 resulting breed, for American purposes, were far superior to either the 

 Merino or Persian 5 and although less in size and perhaps weight of 

 fleece, the quality of their wool was fully as good for the fabric of com- 

 mon broadcloths of England as any which had come under his obser- 

 vation in the principal clothing counties of England Yorkshire, Wilt- 

 shire, Gloucester, or Somerset the last furnishing the finest and most 

 delicate broadcloths and cassimeres. 



Washington's live stock was sold in 1802, and the sheep were scat- 

 tered. G. W. P. Custis purchased some of them, including two imported 

 Leicester ewes and the Persian ram, paying for the latter $50, a sum in 

 those days for a sheep deemed the effect of enthusiasm or folly.* The 



*We copy the following from the Washington Federalist, No. 345, July 26, 1802: 

 "At the late sale of Gen. Washington's stock the following prices were given : 



The largest imported bull sold for $334 



The second size 115 



Two cows for 205 



Imported ram 33 



Imported sheep, each 13 



