EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 65 



I 5 ounces of excellent wool. He had a superior form and his lanibs 

 | proved his value. It was by means of this superior sheep that Mr. 

 ; Custis bred away the hair of his improved Persian stock and at the 

 i same time retained the length, by which it resulted that the stock had 

 the qualities of much wool of great length, good texture, and a good 

 form, together with size adapted to most of our soils, and not too large 

 l for any. 



In the year 1808 Mr. Custis issued a prospectus or " plan for dispos- 

 ing of the Arlington improved sheep, so as to promote the woolen man- 

 ufacture of the United States, and thereby advance the most impor- 

 tant interests of our country." He proposed to sell one hundred lambs, 

 at 820 each, and invest the money in a fund, the interest of which should 

 be appropriated to an annual premium for the benefit of the American 

 woolen manufacture. The premium was to be given for the best ten 

 yards of American manufactured broadcloth, to be made of American 

 wool alone, to be the width of the best European broadcloth, and of a 

 national blue color, and the premium was to continue as long as the 

 present form of the American government shall exist. And of so much 

 importance was the matter conceived to be that two of the four judges 

 to award the premium were to be appointed by the President of the 

 United States, who was to have one-fifth of the premium cloth. The 

 laudable desires of Mr. Custis were but partially realized as far as the 

 Arlington sheep were concerned, for now we begin to see at his shearings 

 Merino sheep which carry off all the first premiums and eventually 

 drive his sheep from public favor, which, however, they partially re- 

 gained in later years. They were not generally appreciated by the 

 farmers of Virginia and Maryland, and Mr. Custis was so disgusted 

 with this want of appreciation that when Chancellor Livingston, in 1810, 

 offered him some half-blood Merinos for the improvement of his sheep, 

 particularly those of Smith Island, soon to be noted, he declined the 

 generous offer on the ground that his efforts to assist his native State 

 had been so little regarded that it would be an injustice to accept a gift 

 likely to be so little appreciated, and that would do much more good 

 elsewhere. He did, however, accept from Chancellor Livingston a Me- 

 rino ram, full-blooded, having, as he said in May, 1810, " long since con- 

 ceded his partiality for the Merino" and was " desirous of promoting 

 that valuable race." 



The effect of the Merino breed now being adopted throughout the 

 country is shown in the eighth anniversary of the Arlington sheep 

 shearing, April 30, 1812, when the following rams received premiums: 



Alphomo. Owned by L. Lewis, of Woodlawn, Va., one-half Merino, weight, 114 

 pounds ; wool, 5 pounds, washed. 



Roderick Dim. Owned by George Mason, of Gunstou Hall, one-half Merino, 

 weight, 129^ pounds; wool, 9 pounds 12 ounces, unwashed. 



Don Eoderic. Owned by Thomas Peter, District of Columbia, three-fourths Me- 

 rino, weight 92 pounds; wool, 5 pounds 7 ounces, unwashed. 



Mount Fernon. Owned by W. A. Daingerfield, Notley Hall, Md., one-fourth 

 Merino, weight 111 pounds; wool 5 pounds, unwashed. 



22990 5 



