EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 149 



On September 13, 1813, a few months after Livingston's death, apart 

 of his full blooded flock was sold at auction opposite St. Mark's church, 

 New York city. The number sold was 20 rams and 120 ewes. The 

 remainder of his flock was kept on the estate at Clermont as late as 

 1836, bearing the same characteristics as marked the original importa- 

 tion, and Nathan Beckwith, of Red Hook, was allowed to select a few 

 rams and ewes to commence another pure flock. 



Livingston thus describes the Spanish Merinos, as they appeared at 

 the beginning of this century. The race varies greatly in size and 

 beauty in different parts of Spain. It is commonly rather smaller than 

 the middle-sized sheep of America. The body is compact, the legs 

 short, the head long, the forehead arched. The ram generally (but not 

 invariably) carries very large spiral horns, has a fine eye and a bold 

 step. The ewes have generally no horns. The wool of these sheep is 

 so much finer and softer than the common wool as to bear no sort of 

 comparison with it; it is twisted and drawn together like a corkscrew; 

 its length is generally 3 inches, but when drawn out it will stretch to 

 nearly double that length. Though the wool is, when cleaned, extremely 

 white, yet on the sheep it appears of a yellowish or dirty-brown color, 

 owing to the closeness of the coat and the condensation of the perspira- 

 tion on the extremities of the fleece. The wool commonly covers great 

 part of the head, and descends to the hoof of the hind feet, particularly 

 in young sheep; it is also much more greasy than the wool of other 

 sheep. 



The difference between the Merinos composing the national flocks of 

 France, from which Livingston procured his sheep, and those imported 

 from Spain into France a few years later, under the treaty of Basle 

 (though these also were picked sheep), was so striking that it could 

 hardly be attributed solely to the care and attention which they re- 

 ceived in France, though much was doubtless due to this circumstance. 

 Of the progenitors of Livingston's sheep, the Eambouillet flock, Prof. 

 Gilbert reported to the National Institute of France in 1796 that the 

 stock was composed of individuals beautiful beyond any that had ever 

 before been brought from Spain; but having been chosen from a great 

 number of flocks, in different parts of the Kingdom, they "were distin- 

 guished by very striking local differences, which formed a medley dis- 

 agreeable to the eye, but immaterial as it affected their quality. These 

 characteristic differences were melted into each other by their succes- 

 sive alliances, and from thence resulted a race resembling none of those 

 which composed the primitive stock, but which certainly did not yield 

 in any respect to the most beautiful in point of size, form, and strength; 

 or in the fineness, length, softness, strength, and abundance of the 

 fleece. Almost all the fleeces of the rams of two years and upwards 

 weighed from 12 to 13 French pounds, but the mean weight, taking rams 

 and ewes together, was scant 8 pounds, after deducting the tags and 

 belly wool. Making allowance for washing and scouring, the average 



