226 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The tenants and farmers, however, soon became alive to their true 

 interests; prejudice was overthrown, and the Electoral sheepfold not 

 proving adequate to the demands, now daily increasing, new importa- 

 tions were made from Spain. Reasons for a new importation were the 

 scarcity of full-blooded animals remaining in Saxony, and the fact 

 that the crossings and subsequent breedings had not been as properly 

 conducted as they might have been. 



In March, 1777, the king of Spain consented that more sheep should 

 be sold to Saxony, but it was exceedingly difficult to find in all Saxony 

 a competent man to make the selection in Spain. A Mr. Vogel, Avho 

 was in charge of the ducal possessions at Ehrenberg, was finally se- 

 lected, and being furnished with the proper papers, instructions, and 

 references, and accompanied by a shepherd who had long been in 

 charge of the fold at Stolpen, left Dresden late in 1777, arriving at 

 Madrid early in March, 1778, and in the Estremaduras on the 18th of 

 that month, where he made selections and purchases, as set forth in 

 his report of the 5th of April, of 276 head, viz, 176 ewes and 100 

 rams. 



Ewes from the cabana of the Marquis d'Yranda 156 



Ewes from the cabana of the Countess da Cuenta 20 



176 



Rams from the cabana of the Duke of Villa Paterna 21 



Rams from the cabana of the Marquis d' Yranda 57 



Rams from the cabana of the Duchess da Negretti 17 



Rams from the cabana of the Countess da Cuenta 106 



201 



On May 21, 1778, this flock reached Cadiz, from which place they 

 were shipped to Hamburg, where they arrived August 1, 1778. In 

 consequence of internal commotions in the country they were detained 

 on the road from Hamburg, and did not arrive at Stolpen until May 

 23, 1779, the flock then consisting of 55 rams and 169 ewes. After 

 their arrival in Saxony there were no efforts made to keep the sheep 

 from the various cabanas distinct, the idea then prevailing that one 

 Spanish sheep was as good as another, without any regard from which 

 cabana it came. The progeny of this last importation compared not 

 only favorably with that of the first, but really excelled it. The Saxons 

 soon discovered that half-blooded or quarter-blooded rams could not be 

 relied upon to breed from the native sheep; that in a comparatively 

 short time the Spanish blood was entirely bred out. They therefore 

 retained rams and ewes of pure blood for breeders, and in many flocks 

 all the native blood was bred out. 



It was thought advisable that the Stolpen flock, composed exclusively 

 of full -blood Merinos, should be enlarged to make more certain and 

 prompt the propagation of the fine breeds. The increase took place 

 gradually here, as well as in other flocks, so that the number of sheep 



