174 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



For this importation into Massachusetts in 1810 Cornelius Coolidge 

 received the premium of $250, offered by the Massachusetts Society for 

 Promoting Agriculture, for the first 10 ewes imported from Spain. 



Eleven of the 45 sheep imported in the Edward, all rams, sold for 

 $10,902.66, nearly $1,000 each. Eleven more were rented at this time 

 for $4,440, or a little more than $400 each. These sheep were Escurials. 



Succeeding this first shipment of 45 Spanish Merinos to Boston was a 

 shipment to Alexandria, Ya., whicli arrived in the Potomac May 1, 1810; 

 but the vessel, running aground just below th city, did not get off to 

 laud her cargo until May 5. This importation is directly traceable to 

 the good offices of Thomas Jefferson. The Columbia Agricultural 

 Society, of Georgetown, D. C., at the fair of which Madison sported his 

 suit of domestic manufacture, embraced in its membership many wealthy 

 and public- spirited farmers of Maryland and Virginia, men who, like 

 Jefferson, entertained the idea that " we should encourage home manu- 

 factures to the extent of our own consumption of everything of which 

 we raise the raw material," and who believed it the duty of every good 

 citizen " to use no foreign article that can be raised within ourselves." 

 They looked to the improvement of their flocks by the introduction of 

 the Merino sheep, and requested the assistance of Jefferson, who, it was 

 known, favored the idea, and had expressed his desire for some of that 

 breed to make it " a blessing to his countrymen." Erom Monticello, 

 November 23, 1809, Jefferson wrote to Hon. George W. Erving, United 

 States minister at Madrid : 



An American vessel, the property of a respectable merchant of Georgetown, on a 

 voyage to some part of Europe for general purposes of commerce, proposes to touch 

 at some part of Spain with the view of obtaining Merino sheep to be brought to our 

 country. The necessity we are under, and the determination we have formed of 

 emancipating ourselves from a dependence on foreign countries for manufactures 

 whicli may be advantageously established among ourselves, has produced a very 

 general desire to improve the quality of our wool by the introduction of the Merino 

 race of sheep. Your sense of the duties you owe to your station will not permit me 

 to ask, nor yourself to do, any act which might compromit you with the Government 

 with whicli you reside, or forfeit that confidence on their part which can alone en- 

 able you to be useful to your country. But as far as that will permit you to give aid 

 to the procuring and bringing away some of the valuable race, I take the liberty of 

 soliciting you to do so it will be an important service rendered to your county to 

 which you will be further encouraged by the assurance that the enterprise is solely 

 on the behalf of agricultural gentlemen of distinguished character in Washington 

 and its neighborhood, with a view of disseminating the benefits of their success as 

 widely as they can. Without any interest in it myself, other than the general one, 

 1 can not help wishing a favorable result, and therefore add my solicitations to the 

 assurances of my constant esteem and respect. 



M inister Erving turned the matter over to Consul Jarvis, who shipped 

 on the Diana, then lying at Lisbon, 12 of the Escurials to James IT. 

 llooi>, a merchant at Alexandria, with directions to present a pair to 

 Ex-President Jefferson, a pair to President Madison, and to sell the 

 remainder, whicli orders were executed upon their arrival May 5, 1810. 



