EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 



355 



and others. He soon became known as a successful grower of fine wool, 

 and was a large dealer in that of his neighbors. 



Soon after the peace of 1815 small flocks of grade sheep, particularly 

 rams, were annually made up by speculators from among the Long 

 Island flocks, and were sold through Washington County, and thus a 

 tinge of the Merino blood became infused into all the sheep. The 

 McXish and Bishop flocks, however, appear to have been the only ones 

 containing full-blood animals, excepting stock rams, until about 1820 

 and 1822. The high character of the Long Island flocks became gen- 

 erally known through the country at that period, and also the fact that 

 pure-blood sheep could be obtained from them at lower prices than they 

 had formerly given for grade rams. Pure-blooded and choice animals, 

 moreover, attracted more attention and were more sought after then 

 than they had ever formerly been, in consequence of the emulation that 

 was incited by cattle shows and premiums offered for superior stock. 



Many enterprising farmers were thus induced to visit and make pur- 

 chases from the Long Island flocks, $5 and $6 being the price generally 

 paid in autumn. From the flocks of Effingham Lawrence, Andrew 

 Cock, Timothy Mallet, and Silas Titus, the purchases were generally 

 made. And it was about 1820 to 1824 from the most renowned flocks 

 in the country the Escurial blood became largely introduced into Wash- 

 ington County, and directly from this have many of her noted flocks 

 descended. 



Soon after the Long Island, or so-called Escurial, blood had been 

 well established in Washington County, public attention was turned 

 to the Saxony Merino, and the owners of the best flocks became anxious 

 to obtain at least a cross with this blood. In 1827 they were enabled 

 to do this through the arrival of a large number of Saxons belong- 

 ing to Henry D. Grove, which soon made the blood quite common. 

 Most of the flocks were crossed^ but the fleeces were very light, arising 

 in great measure from the fact that the first of these Saxony sheep were 

 from a poor lot sold at Brighton, Mass. The next importation into the 

 country was of better sheep, some of the rams being the heaviest wooled 

 of any Saxon stock brought into the country. Grove rated his Saxons 

 as giving 2J pounds of wool, well washed on the sheep's back. The 

 mixed Saxony and Spanish Merino gave a heavier fleece, and the weight 

 of a flock of this kind for seven consecutive years is preserved. 



