EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 91 



quality of c,liee.se. As to the wool and the general character of this 

 sheep we quote from a work published in 1763, and given as a note by 

 JTouatt: 



It unites in itself the perfections belonging to every other breed without their 

 defects; its walk is firm; its deportment noble; its form well proportioned in all its 

 parts, announcing a good constitution and a healthy temperament, and exempt from 

 the maladies so common to other breeds. The length of its wool is in proportion to 

 its height, and it does not disfigure the animal as in the English sheep, whose fleece 

 is a burdensome weight, especially at the return of spring. The Flemish sheep 

 carries nothing about him that in the least detracts from his beauty. His wool is 

 white and without spot it is of a dazzling whiteness; he is contented every- 

 where everywhere he becomes a citizen of the place he inhabits. 



Touatt could not permit such praise for anything not English, and 

 thus comments on the Fleming's words : 



, It is a good kind of sheep enough, but it owes much of its value to English blood; 

 and, after all, the Belgians and the Dutch are compelled to import annually 3,500,000 

 pounds of British wool, in order to make that of this unrivaled sheep available for 

 the manufacture of the finest stuffs. The average price of this kind of sheep in store 

 condition was about 18 livres at that time, and 30 livres when fat, and the carcass 

 weighed from 90 to 130 pounds. 



The Friesland sheep were known in the United States before the 

 present century, and many of them were introduced early in the present 

 century and crossed on our common sheep, were very popular, and car- 

 ried off many prizes at fairs and shows in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and 

 Virginia. Some of these have been noted. From its long, slim tail, 

 generally devoid of wool, it was frequently called the rat-tailed sheep. 

 The wool of the Friesland sheep, as it appeared in the United States, 

 was 14 to 16 inches long, and silky, very fine for its length, and some 

 instances are recorded where a sheep gave 16 pounds to the fleece. 

 They grew to a great size. The ewes, which were milked twice a day, 

 gave a quart each time, and they brought forth every year from two to 

 four lambs. This breed was confined to a limited area, but continued 

 for many years. In June, 1825, a Mr. Smith showed at the ^laryland 

 fair twenty-three fleeces of Friesland sheep, weighing 204 pounds, or 

 an average of 8 pounds 14 ounces each. The wool was of excellent 

 quality. 



THE TEESWATER SHEEP. 



Upon the rich lowlands bordering the river Tees in the east of Eng- 

 land there was originally bred a tall, clumsy sheep, without horns, and 

 with white face and legs. Their bones were small compared with those 

 of other large breeds, but supported a thicker, firmer, and heavier body 

 than its size would indicate; wide upon the back, somewhat round in 

 the barrel, and yielding a heavier carcass than any other sheep, but 

 proportionally longer in growing to perfection; the meat, however, finer 

 grained than could be expected from such an animal. The wool of the 

 old Tees water was remarkably long, rough, and heavy, yet so loosely 

 was it set upon the skin that the fleece seldom weighed more than 9 



