388 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



rior in quality to that of any Merino imported into the country, except 

 the Saxony. Mr. Randall sums up his opinion of this sheep in 1862: 



Wherever it is more profitable to grow really fine wool this variety ought to stand 

 unrivaled ; and I can not entertain a doubt that there will always be sufficient 

 demand in the United States for such wool to make large flocks of these Silesian 

 sheep profitable. If our broadcloth manufactures should revive, as it is to bo hoped 

 they will, it will add immensely to the call for this class of wool. Where it is desira- 

 ble to make crosses between Merinos and coarse breeds, or to add to the fineness and 

 evenness of coarse families of Merinos, these sheep would seem well fitted to the 

 object. 



But the demand for Silesian wool was not felt, and the broadcloth 

 manufacture did not revive, consequently the Silesian sheep had no 

 encouragement, and with the French and Saxony Merinos were almost 

 ^universally condemned by 1865. As to their value as crosses an ex- 

 periment was made, but not in the direction indicated by Mr. Ran- 

 dall. Mr. James Geddes preserved a fine flock of Silesians, and in 1869, 

 when everything was running to coarse- wool production, he selected 

 100 choice Silesian ewes, with the view, on account of the uureinunera- 

 tive price of wool, of combining with it the production of mutton. Two 

 Cotswold ranis were purchased to put with them. The resultant 80 to 

 90 lambs from these ewes were very fine, and partook strongly of the 

 characteristics of the Cotswold. An average yearling of the cross 

 weighed 80 pounds, and his fleece weighed 7f pounds. Several fleeces 

 of the ewes weighed 9 pounds each, and one only fell as low as 5 

 pounds. 



Writing in 1870, William Chamberlain said that he had during the 

 preceding fifteen years imported 500 Silesian sheep of the first quality, 

 and had them ever since, and they continued to do well ; full as well as 

 any breed of sheep of which he had any knowledge. The wool did not 

 deteriorate. His flock averaged fully 8 pounds umvashed wool. It 

 was sold to a Connecticut manufacturer, who made doeskins which 

 compared favorably with the best German doeskin. The cross of the 

 Saxon and Silesian had resulted very satisfactorily. 



At the death of Mr. Chamberlain the German shepherd, Carl Heyne, 

 who had cared for and handled the flock with great ability, selected a 

 choice lot and more than sustained their former reputation in hardiness 

 and excellence of fleece. After the death of Mr. Heyne the flock be- 

 came the property of C. D. Kenyon, of White Creek, Washington 

 County, N. Y. The fleeces averaged one-third less than those of the 

 American Merinos, but excelled in fineness and sold for 5 cents more 

 per pound. The wool was formerly in demand for soft felt hats. It is 

 very soft and not quite so fine as the Saxony. The sheep are somewhat 

 larger than the Saxony, which they resemble in form. They shear a 

 heavier fleece than the Saxony. At the New Orleans Fair in 1885 they 

 took the premiums for fine- wool sheep. The descendants of the Cham- 

 berlain flock are still bred by the Kenyon Brothers and seem to be well 

 adapted to their surroundings. 



