EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 283 



Hampshire not full-bloods only, but those of less purity. These widely 

 disseminated would more rapidly and more extensively bring on such 

 an improvement on the common sheep of the country as would suffice 

 to keep the woolen mills moving, and supply the increasing demand for 

 American goods. 



In April, 1811, the sheep that William Jarvis had reserved from his 

 different importations and gathered at Claremont, N. H., during the 

 previous fall and winter, were moved across the Connecticut Eiver and 

 settled upon the farm, he had purchased a short time previous as his 

 future home, and from whence so many of the flocks of eastern Ver- 

 mont and many of those in the western part of the State derived the 

 blood for their foundations, and procured other additions in after years, 

 to recuperate and improve the quality of the first, or to improve that 

 derived from other sources. Mr. Jarvis had instructed the Paular 

 shepherds, who came with that flock to Lisbon, to select 300 sheep, 

 which he shipped to Newburyport. The half of these were Paulars, a 

 fourth Aguirres, an eighth Escurials, and the other eighth Negrettis 

 and Montarcos. About another hundred were driven up from Boston, 

 remnants of some of the shipments to that place remaining unsold. In 

 all the flock numbered about 400. In compliance with the invariable 

 practice in Spain, Mr. Jarvis bred the respective flocks separately, or 

 what is called in farmer's language in-and-in, that custom of breeding 

 the bucks and ewes of the same cabana or flock together, or in-and-in, 

 having existed in Spain from time immemorial, but about 1816 or 1817 

 he mixed the different flocks together, and so bred his Merinos after- 

 wards. 



A communication to the National Live Stock Journal, April, 1873, 

 signed " A Wool Grower," says that the writer well knew the five fam- 

 ilies imported by Mr. Jarvis, having seen them on his farm at Weath- 

 ersfield. The Escurials, Montarcos, and Aguirres were a smooth sheep, 

 with but very little fur or hair, as he termed it. The Paulars were a 

 strong, hardy sheep, round-bodied, with fur on the ham, and also on 

 the wrinkles about their neck. The Kegrettis were a low sheep, with 

 flabs under the belly and flanks, not as fine on the shoulder as either 

 of the others and yet not so uneven as the Paulars. The Negrettis 

 cleaned more wool than any of the others, which was not so crusty and 

 was of longer staple. They were also better milkers, and as there was 

 little difference between his Paular ewes and those of " Wool Grower," 

 the latter selected a stock ram from the Negrettis. At that time Mr. 

 Jarvis had his sheep in separate flocks, though he had crossed some 

 of the families together, and finally with the Saxon, to improve his 

 wool. The first cross he thought an improvement, but as late as 1833 

 he said he had missed it, and that the Paular was the best sheep that 

 ever stood on hoof. In 1822 Mr. Jarvis gave a certificate that his pure 

 Merinos had been bred so as to contain one-half Paular blood, one- 

 quarter Muros or Aguirres, three- sixteenths Escurial, and one-six- 

 teenth Segretti bred together. 



