356 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



These were fed under cover, and averaged from 2 ounces to a pound 

 more than when fed in winter out of doors. This cross was popular 

 with the wool- growers until 1841 to 1843 ; many were reared and a large 

 amount of wool was annually produced. But from 1842 to 1845 a 

 change took place, and flocks of 2,000 to 3,000, of which there were 

 many in the county, were changed back to the old Spanish Merino by 

 the introduction of rams from Connecticut and Vermont, and the weight 

 of fleece increased to 6, 7, and 8 pounds, while the mixed Saxon and 

 Spanish remained at 3 to 3J, an occasional pure bred Saxon touching 

 the former figure. 



The purest and best Saxony flock in the State was that formed by 

 Henry P. Grove, which, upon his death, was sold at auction in the fall 

 of 1844, and realized an average of $7 per head. The Ohio portion of 

 the flock, kept in Medina County, was sold about the same time and 

 averaged $9 per head. 



Saratoga County adjoins Washington, and like it early introduced 

 the Merino, some of the farmers procuring their stock direct from Col. 

 Humphreys and Chancellor Livingston. Silas Adams, of Milton, 

 bought a pair of Col. Humphreys at a very early date, and bred a 

 pure flock as late as 1836. The Saxons crossed nearly all the flocks, 

 and in 1841 there were large numbers of sheep of the mixed Merinos. 



In 1810 Elam Tilden, of New Lebanon, Columbia County, purchased 

 a full-blooded ewe, and shortly after some ewes and a ram of other im- 

 portations, from which stock sprang quite an extensive flock of full- 

 blooded Merinos, which, in 1825 or 1826, were crossed with the Saxons. 



In 1811 Spanish Merinos were taken into St. Lawrence County by 

 David Ogden, who had purchased 9 ewes and 1 ram in October, 1810, 

 for $1,515, to which were added January 14, 1811, 9 ewes and a ram at 

 a cost of $512 and 1 black ram at $150, and some other sheep at lower 

 prices. 



The prices given and received for Merino sheep in October, 1813, in 

 the New York City market, were: Escurial rams, $300 to $315, very 

 fine wool; Paular rams, $50 to $100, very best quality,- Paular rams, 

 $23 to $44, inferior and old; ram lambs, $55, 6 months old; half- 

 blood ewes, $14 to $18, fine wool; half-blood ewes, $12 to $15, in- 

 ferior; full-blooded ewes, $100 to $123, fine wool; full-blooded rams and 

 ewes free from jarr or dog's hair, and whose pedigree could well be 

 authenticated, uniformly commanded good prices and found ready sale. 



A public sale on November 13, 1813, of Merino sheep from the Mount 

 Merino flock of Mr. Wells, of Westchester County, and from the flock 

 of Judge Canfield, of Sharon, Conn., realized as follows: 



Each. 



68 full-blooded Merino ewes $127.98 



31 full-blooded Merino ewe lambs 69. 50 



16 full-blooded Merino ram lambs 31. 50 



39 three-fourths blood ewes 26. 28 



74 one-half blood-ewes 10. 50 



