306 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



eclipsed by those of S. W. Jewett, who imported from France a large 

 number of Merinos at a cost of over $50,000. They sheared all the way 

 from 12 to 26 pounds of wool. They did not find ready sale in the East 

 arid were taken to California, where they were better appreciated and 

 better adapted to the climate. In 1883 a Western paper contained 

 the following: "Large numbers of sheep were recently driven from 

 California and across the Rocky Mountains to Texas, because sheep 

 bred in California are usually of a larger size, which it is said they have 

 obtained from the amenity of its climate and from a cross of French 

 sheep derived from those imported into Vermont some thirty-five years 

 ago." 



In 1853 some of Mr. Jewett's sheep were sent to Alabama and Mis- 

 souri, and in 1857 some went from the Campbell flock (also 10 Spanish 

 Merinos and 2 Silesians) to Buenos Ayres. 



Several Vermont breeders made experiments with the French Merinos 

 by crossing the rams on Spanish ewes, but the result was not satisfac- 

 tory. The increase in the size of carcass was great, but the average 

 weight of the fleece decreased. It was thought, too, that they were less 

 hardy than the Spanish Merino. They were soon condemned as unfitted 

 to Vermont sheep husbandry, and generally disappeared. It was con- 

 tended by those who were their advocates that they were not given a 

 fair trial; that had they been treated as they should have been the 

 result would have been different. Attention was called to the fact that 

 these sheep, previous to their importation into the country, received 

 liberal feeding, and had been under the watchful care of the shepherd 

 and his dog, and were, consequently, less qualified than our naturalized 

 breeds to seek their subsistence over a wide range of short pasturage. 



In May, 1851, George Campbell made an importation of some Silesian 

 Merinos, and in June following William B. Sanford returned from 

 Europe with 25 Silesians, mostly 1 year old, of good forms, uniform 

 in appearance, and remarkably covered with wool on all parts of 

 the body. The wool was oily, but not gummy. The average of the 

 flock of 600 from which they were selected in wool was 4 pounds, well 

 washed. These sheep were purely descended from the Infantaclo and 

 Negretti families of Spain, from a selection taken thence to Silesia in 

 1811 and bred with great purity and care. The Silesian was but little 

 extended in Vermont, and made no impression on the character of the 

 sheep or the system of husbandry. 



From the known facts here presented and from the presence of other 

 full-blooded and mixed flocks in various parts of the State, but of which 

 no reliable data are attainable, it is certain that Vermont took a generous 

 advantage of all the importations and of the best flocks to supply her- 

 self with Merino sheep, and laid solidly the foundation of that industry 

 for which she is justly noted. There was a gradual and careful dis- 

 semination of the best blood, and of the 798,800 sheep owned in the 

 State in 1830 a good proportion were fiue-wooled. In 1836 the State 



