170 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Columbus, though a fine sheep, was excelled by one of his getting! 

 Americus, a very superior animal, and considered by Mr. Caldwell the; 

 best Merino ram he ever met with, although he had traveled from Bos- 

 ton to Alexandria for the purpose of examining all the early importa- 

 tions from Spain, and of purchasing the best he could find. And he 

 had done much in that line, expending more than $40,000 in purchasing 

 the cream of almost every importation from Spain, but could never 

 find one equal in every respect to Americas. This ram lamb sheared 

 12J pounds of wool, which was sold by Mr. Caldwell for $25. 



Mr. Caldwell accumulated a large flock, buying largely of the Jar vis 

 importations of 1810. He continued to breed from his earlier importa- 

 tions and these Jarvis sheep until 1815, when he sold the principal part 

 of his flock to a Mr. Howell, of New Jersey, who subsequently trans- 

 ferred it to William E. Dickinson, of Ohio. Caldwell received from 

 Howell $300 for Columbus at a time when, the best imported Spanish 

 rams were to be had for $50, and for Americus Howell gave him $500. 



In 1809, as shown by the records of the Massachusetts Society for 

 Promoting Agriculture, Capt. William Bartlett received a premium of 

 $50 for the importation of a Merino ram. This ram was procured at 

 Cadiz, Spain, in May, 1809. On March 14, 1810, a Merino ram was sold 

 in New York City for $1,000, "brought out lately from Cadiz by Capt. 

 Barnum in the ship Atlanta."* On April 11, 1810, Capt. Page, of the 

 brig South Carolina, landed at Philadelphia two Merino rams brought 

 from Cadiz. They were exposed for sale on May 5. One was sold to 

 Joseph Allen Smith for $510 ; the other was withdraAvn from sale after 

 an offer of $350 had been made for him. 



An importation of French Merinos must here be noted. Although 

 the French Government in June, 1809, had prevented the exportation of 

 a dozen sheep belonging to II. R. Livingston, his successor as minister 

 to France, Gen. John Armstrong, was permitted to take with him, on his 

 departure for the United States, 20 Merino sheep that he purchased of 

 Mr. Paris. One of the sheep died on the passage. The 19 were landed 

 November, 1810, and taken to Clermont on the Hudson ; some of them 

 to the flock of Mr. Livingston. They Avere bred separately and were 

 freely disposed of. In October, 1813, 20 rams, 1, 2, and 3 years old, 

 descendants of the importation of 1810, were offered for sale in the city 

 of New York. They Avere described as of the first quality, and all as 



the produce of the flock selected by Gen. Armstrong when minister at France (and 

 imported by him under special license), from the celebrated flocks of Mr. Paris, one of 

 the first breeders of Europe, and have remained unmixed with any others. They 

 are equal to the Kambouillet or Escnrial either in size, form, fineness, or quantity of 

 wool, and challenge a competition with any in the United States. 



The year 1810 saw the United States in the midst of a mania for 

 home manufactures and fine wool. The troubles with France and Eng- 



* New York Gazette, March 16, 1810. 



