78 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



thought would recommend them was their hair, which " being annually 

 renewed will afford a material for manufactures highly desirable, and 

 of more value than Merino wool/' and the public liberality which had 

 attended the attempt to introduce the Merino sheep, it was thought, 

 Would serve as an encouragement to those who desire to join in the 

 enterprise. 



MAREXGO SHEEP. 



In 1810, Jacob Gibson, of Easton, Md., advertised an improved breed 

 of sheep known as the Marengo. He asked $30 per pair, and warranted 

 they should weigh 270 to 300 pounds, and yield from 18 to 22 pounds 

 of wool. By an article in the Eastern Star it appears that 101 J pounds 

 of wool were sheared in May, 1810, from 12 ewes loaned by Mr. Gibson 

 to Governor Lloyd, and that a ram lamb of the same breed sheared 11 J 

 pounds. The ewes loaned to Mr. Lloyd (who had a Merino ram) were 

 preferred on account of the quality, not the quantity, of their wool. 



THE TUNIS OK BROAD-TAILED BARBARY SHEEP. 



John Adams records in his diary, while at Paris in 1782, that "as Mr. 

 Curson talked of going to Marseilles, Mr. Laurens advised him to send 

 to America some Barbary sheep. He says he had one in Carolina, but 

 never could make the American rams go to that sheep." If Mr. Curson 

 acted upon Mr. Laurens's advice there is no record of the fact. In 1799, 

 when Gen. William Eaton was United States consul at Tunis, at his 

 request, and out of compliment to the United States, the Bey of Tunis 

 permitted to be taken from his farm in the interior of the country a 

 number of broad-tailed Barbary or Mountain Tunis sheep for shipment 

 to the United States. Eight or ten were placed on board the man-of- 

 war Sophia, Capt. Henry Geddes, on May 3, 1799, but only one pair 

 survived the voyage to arrive in the Delaware Eiver. These were 

 placed by Timothy Pickering, Secretary of State, into the hands and 

 keeping of Judge Eichard Peters, of Belmont, near Philadelphia, who 

 kept and bred from them and gave free use of the full-blood rams to 

 those who chose to avail themselves of the privilege. His pastures 

 were soon overburdened with ewes brought from far and near, and the 

 improved breed was extensively propagated in Pennsylvania and the 

 neighboring States, many pure bloods being sent as far south as South 

 Carolina. Those who availed themselves of the benefit were not, as a 

 general thing, sufficiently conscious of the value, save that they found 

 the broad tail % excited curiosity, and procured a ready sale for the 

 lambs. The original ram, after Judge Peters had bred from him some 

 excellent sheep, was sent to his friend, Gen. Hand, for the use of that 

 gentleman and the farmers of Lancaster County. Several victualers 

 of Philadelphia, discovering the superiority of the mutton over that of 

 all other sheep, both in quality and price, made up a purse and offered 

 any sum that Judge Peters would choose to fix for the ram, intending 



