EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 277 



flock. Some of the rams had been sold to various sections of the coun- 

 try, some in Connecticut. 



When the Eambouillet flock was brought into France, favored parties 

 had presented to them, or were permitted to buy, some of the sheep. 

 One of these was a M. de Chauevier, who placed a few on his farm at 

 Croissy, 12 miles from Paris. Of this flock Victor Gilbert purchased 

 1 ram and 8 ewes in 1800, and bought yearly from 2 to 4 until 1811, 

 when he bought 5 rams and 50 ewes, and in 1818 about 50 ewes. In 

 1821 he bought a Eambouillet ram, and up to 1827 5 more of them. In 

 May, 1846, John A. Taintor bought 2 rams and 7 ewes of the Gilbert 

 flock and brought them to Connecticut, and he made yearly purchases 

 from this and other flocks at subsequent times. 



The French Merino did not bec.oine popular in Connecticut, was but 

 little extended and soon discarded. The best of these importations 

 found purchases from Vermont and Western New York, thence to Ohio 

 and States further west. The Taintor importation was purchased by 

 A. L. Bingham, Cornwall, Vt., who, in 1850, had the entire Taintor 

 flock, and in fact all the ewes of the French blood in the United States, 

 except 27 which were owned by other individuals over the country. He 

 had made three crosses with the French rams on his old flock of Span- 

 ish Merinos with great satisfaction, the progeny giving an increase of 

 fleece. 



Eighty- three French sheep weighed 10,458 pounds, an average of 12G 

 pounds ; 83 French sheep fleeces weighed 1,494 pounds, an average of 

 18 pounds, or 2f ounces for every pound of flesh. The smallest fleece 

 from a 10-months lamb weighed 13 J pounds. The heaviest fleece from 

 a 3-year old ewe weighed 25 J pounds, unwashed, or 14 J pounds washed 

 wool. In comparison : 



One hundred Spanish-American Merinos weighed 9,000 pounds, an 

 average of 90 pounds. 



One hundred Spanish- American Merinos fleeces weighed 650 pounds, 

 an average of 6J pounds or 1-^- ounces for every pound of flesh, or a 

 difference in favor of the French Merino of over 1 ounce. 



Notwithstanding many very favorable showings Taintor's importa- 

 tion did not enthuse the American sheep-breeder and wool- grower; it is 

 now generally conceded that they were not given a fair trial. Some 

 contend that they were evidently overgrown specimens, and not a fair 

 sample of the French Merino in the Eambouillet flock. As usual with 

 overgrown specimens these were flat, slab-sided. They were unsightly, 

 and the progeny was tender, hard to keep fat, and required twice the 

 care of good, stocky, hardy animals. It was also charged that they 

 were mongrel sheep, a cross between the Merino and some coarse long- 

 wooled sheep. 



There came about at nearly this date a change in sheep husbandry. 

 Wool-growing was made secondary to mutton-raising and the sheep on 

 the hills and in the valley were used to feed the operatives in the neigh- 



