EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 287 



Early in 1811 T. W. Perkins, of Boston, purchased of Mr. Jarvis aNe- 

 gretti ram and 15 Aguirres ewes. These he sent to Amos W. Barnum, 

 of Vergennes, by whom they were bred for a number of years, and were 

 scattered through the adjacent towns and counties. 



In the fall of 1811, probably in September, Thomas R. Robinson r.r I 

 his nephew, Jonas Minturn, of New York, purchased from off shipboa. d, 

 direct from Spain, 3 Merino ewes and 1 ram. The latter and one of the 

 ewes were Paulars; the other ewes were one Escurial and one Aguirres. 

 The Paular ewe was the largest of the three, and the wool finer and 

 somewhat shorter than that of the other two. The average weight of 

 the fleece of the three ewes, washed on the back, was 5 to 7 pounds. 

 These sheep and their progeny, together with the various crosses 

 with Mr. Robinson's old flock of natives, were kept long enough 

 to greatly improve Mr. Robinson's own flock and those of the surround- 

 ing region until the introduction of the Saxony sheep, when, like most 

 other keepers of large flocks, he took the same course and put an end 

 to hopes of success in the line of wool -raising. Many years afterwards 

 Mr. Robinson revived his flock by introducing pure Merino ewes from 

 Rhode Island, from the flocks of David Buffum and W. I. Bailey. 



In other parts of the State there were purchasers of Merino sheep. 

 Linus Austin, of Wilmington, had five rams and four ewes imported 

 from Spain in April, 1810, and brought into the State in May. In Au- 

 gust they were offered for sale or to let. September 27, 1814, Isaac 

 Bishop, of Grauville, had for sale 20 full-blood Merino rams and 50 

 half-bloods, and the same year Chief Justice Skinner brought from 

 Watertown, Conn., a number of sheep said to have been of the Hum- 

 phreys importation. Their descendents passed into the hands of 

 J. S. Pettibone, of Manchester. Mr. Pettibone, in 1822, added to this 

 flock 20 full-blooded Merino ewes bred from the flock of Jacob N. Blakes- 

 lee, of Connecticut, and the produce of the combined flocks laid the 

 foundation of the large and superior flock that Mr. Pettibone bred from 

 many years. 



In 1816 Zebulon Frost and Hallet Thorn purchased of Effingham 

 Lawrence and Andrew Cock, of Flushing, Long Island, a flock of Merino 

 sheep, and took them to Shoreham. It is not known how many were 

 in the purchase, nor is it known of what blood they were. Some of 

 them were kept pure, and the blood transmitted without other than 

 Merino blood being crossed with it. About the same time some full- 

 blooded Merinos were taken to Bridport, which were of good stock 

 and made their impress upon the flocks of the neighborhood. 



Previous to 1823 the Livingston Merino was introduced into Vermont, 

 for on June 2, 1823, Aaron Sherwood, of Bennington, sheared from one 

 of these 18 pounds 14 ounces washed wool of good quality, and staple 

 16 inches long. This sheep was described as a full-blooded Livingston 

 Merino buck, four years old, and had never been sheared, and with 

 fleece on weighed 178 pounds. 



