EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 289 



In the same year (1830) William E. Sanford, who previous to this 

 time had succeeded to his father's flock of sheep, purchased of Grant & 

 Jennison, of Walpole, IS". H., 20 ewes that were bred by William Jarvis 

 of his pure Spanish Merino importation, which Mr. Sanford bred to 

 Cock and Jarvis rams. In 1845 he bought a ram lamb of Edwin 

 Hammond, and always after that year used pure Atwood rams. In 

 1840 or 1847 he bought of Stephen Atwood 3 lamb rams and a few ewes 

 from J. E. Nettleton's flock in Connecticut, bred from the flock of 

 Jacob ]$". Blakeslee. In 1849 he purchased 13 ewes and the ram Old 

 Black of Stephen Atwood and his son George Atwood, thus laying the 

 foundation for the flock that subsequently became pure Atwood. A 

 few more ewes, 8 or 10 in number, were bought of the Atwoods at other 

 times, and in 1854 he purchased of W. E. Eemele, of Middlebury, Vt., 

 36 ewes, being all of his ewe lambs of 1853 and 1854. These were pure 

 I Atwood blood. During the same year Mr. Sanford in company with 

 ; W. S. and Edwin Hammond purchased 27 ewes of the Cutting flock 

 hereafter to be noticed. A portion of these ewes were Atwood, but the 

 larger portion were a part Atwood and a part Ehode Island blood. 

 I Again in the same year Mr. Sanford purchased 7 yearling ewes and 

 tewe lambs that were bred by Mr. Abel P. Wooster, of West Cornwall, 

 I Vt. They were Atwood and Hammond sheep. After the introduction 

 of the Atwood sheep into the flock the ewes from this blood were re- 

 tained in the flock, and those having the Jarvis blood were sold off, as 

 also some French and Silesian sheep purchased in 1851. The Cutting 

 [blood, or that part of the Cutting purchase that were not pure Atwoods, 

 were also sold off, and the flock became pure Atwood and were so bred 

 until 1874, when it was sold to L. J. Orcutt, of Cummington, Mass., and 

 i put in charge of George Hammond of Middlebury, Vt. Its subsequent 

 I history will be traced in the Hammond flock. 



Mr. Sanford owned in company with Mr. Edwin Hammond 4 or 5 

 stock rams, and he had a half interest in the ram California, formerly 

 used by Victor Wright. California was bred by Victor Wright in 

 1858, sire Long Wool, and was an Atwood sheep. He was finally sold 

 to Messrs. Hoyt, in California, in 1861. Many other rams of great 

 Excellence were projiuced from this flock, among which Comet held a 



rominent position, and probably made the greatest improvement. 



romet was bred in 1861, his sire being Wright's California. He weighed 

 full fleece about 140 pounds and was a symmetrical and well-made, 



ound-carcassed sheep, and stood upon straight legs of medium length. 



[is fleece was dense, even, and covered him well. Length of staple 

 inches j length of fiber, 3 J inches; oil slightly buff; weight of fleece, 



4J pounds at his third shearing. He was well folded at under side of 



eck, also at tail and flank. He was used extensively as a stock ram, 



and was an excellent sire of both ewes and rams. It is said that the 



income of this ram at 3 years old was $3,000. He was sold in his old 



age to J. S. Close, St. Clairsville, Ohio, Two rams, Eureka and Kil- 



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