384 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Being interested in the progress of agriculture, the then premier, Duke Kaunitz- 

 Rittberg, by an especial favor of the Spanish court, obtained a flock of the very best 

 wool-growers in Spain, and placed them on his estates in Jarmintz, Moravia. The 

 mother of the then owner of the Heriiitz estates was a daughter of the premier, and 

 wife of Duke Eugene of Ubrna, who was the owner of the large family estates in 

 Herztfvitz, in Bohemia, and fell heir to a portion of the original flock imported from 

 Spain. This inherited portion was taken to the Bohemian estates ostensibly in order 

 to improve the Bohemian flocks, but really to form the nucleus of a large flock of 

 the very best wool sheep in the Empire. This nucleus was composed of Negrettis 

 and Infantados. The flock at Herzovitz has been kept pure from the first " Kau- 

 nitz" sheep landed there, but in order to increase the flock rapidly additions were 

 made from the flocks at Holitsch and Maunersdorf ; and at the commencement of the 

 present century a portion of the Herzovitz flocks were sent to the estates at Gross 

 Herrlitz, and increased by additions of bucks and ewes from Herzovitz until the year 

 1820. 



Gross Herrlitz, by its topographical and agricultural position, lying at the base 

 of the Sudete Mountains, is admirably adapted for sheep and wool growing. In a 

 short time after the removal from Herzovitz, it was found that the physique of the flock 

 was undergoing a gradual change the bodies became larger, with broad and power- 

 ful frames. The entire body was covered with a thick and heavy fleece, the wool 

 was nervous, even, and somewhat heavily gummed, but could very readily be dis- 

 tinguished as the Saxony wool of Spanish origin. Thus encouraged, the proprie- 

 tor spared neither pains nor expense to obtain this end, to bring his flock to the very 

 greatest perfection, and as a means to obtain this end, in the year 1805 he purchased 

 55 ewes from the old Jarmeritz stock, and in 1816 purchased 3 bucks from Hoschlitz ; 

 this latter, at the time had the reputation of being the finest flock in Moravia. By 

 the year 1820 the flock at Herrlitz had become so consolidated and equal in the. 

 hereditary transmission of qualities that breeding animals from it were in the great- 

 est demand although it was then very far from its present development. But in 

 order to attain the highest possible development of strength and fineness of wool and 

 evenness of fleece, the proprietor made annual purchases until the year 1827 of the 

 best bucks from the Lichnowskyan flock. Since 1827 the Herrlitz flock has been 

 carefully bred in-and-in, so that all the characteristics of form and quality of wool 

 are now permanently fixed.* 



The Merino sheep originally imported into Silesia were pretty nearly 

 of the same blood large vigorous animals with a strong elastic wool. 

 Although the blood was pure and the character of the wool excellent, 

 the limited number with which they commenced the Silesian flocks did 

 not conduce to a rapid progress in their increase and improvement. 

 The shepherds intrusted with them were ignorant of the proper mode 

 of treatment, consequently the animals, like the native breed, were ne- 

 glected and permitted to shift for themselves. The few samples exist- 

 ing from these first Merinos in 1845, when compared with wool of the 

 best breed at the latter date, showed how great had been the improve- 

 ment. 



The estate holders and farmers of Silesia crossed, with great success, 

 their native flocks by rams of these first Merino flocks, and the fact that 

 rams with strong elastic wool and with a well-developed body produce 

 a more profitable breed and in shorter time than those delicate animals, 

 with very thin and soft wool, was fully proved. 



* Ohio Agricultural Report, 1862. 



