EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 425 



NEW JERSEY. 



Some of tlie choicest importations of Merino sheep were taken up in 

 Jersey. Merchants and others of wealth in the two cities of New 

 York and Philadelphia formed flocks and entered extensively upon the 

 business of wool-growing when wool was in demand, and we have fre- 

 quent notes in the papers of the day of flocks projected and schemes 

 for buying large tracts of mountain land in the northern counties for 

 the purpose of converting them into sheep graziugs, but of the subse- 

 quent history of these undertakings little is known. Some of the Liv- 

 ingston sheep were early introduced into the counties of Bergen and 

 Essex. 



The most noted flock of the State, and one of the best in the United 

 States, was that of James Caldwell, a merchant of Philadelphia, own- 

 ing a farm at Haddonfield, Gloucester County. As some reference will 

 be made to this flock in future pages we here give entire Mr. Caldwell's 

 history of it as communicated in a letter to William E. Dickinson, 

 April 11, 1826: 



In the fall of 1806 I purchased 1 ram and 2 ewes from Col. Humphreys' Merino 

 flock, for which I paid $300. The ram was accidently killed a short time after. In 

 the spring of 1807 Mr. Basse Muller imported into the city of Philadelphia 6 Merino 

 sheep, which he said had been obtained by him from the flock of the Prince of Hesse 

 Cassel. The sheep were all remarkably fine animals, and at Mr. Midler's request I 

 took them to my farm, and kept them until they had recovered from the eifects of 

 the voyage and were in a condition to travel. I then prevailed on Mr. Muller to let 

 me have one of these rams, and to name his own price. He consented to do this as a 

 personal favor, and did not consider it a sale when he named $100 as about sufficient 

 to defray the additional cost and charges. This sum was paid by me with great 

 satisfaction, although at that time I would rather have had a ram of equal quality 

 direct from Spain, thinking it best to procure the water from the fountain head, as 

 less liable to impurities than farther down the stream. A sheep seven-eighths Merino 

 may have all the external qualifications of a full-blood Merino, but no experienced 

 breeder would think it equally safe or desirable to breed from such an animal when 

 the genuine full-blood can be obtained. I would prefer one of the best horses of 

 Arabia for speed and bottom to the most beautiful English racer, if I desired to 

 propagate and perpetuate those qualities. And even now I would rather cross with 

 the best Spanish ram than with the best Saxon Merino, unless I knew that the Merino 

 had been kept pure and unmixed with Saxony. The contrary practice would be 

 gradually, but certainly, breeding back again into the common stock of the country. 

 I have, however, every reason to believe that the sheep which were imported by 

 Mr. Muller were perfectly pure Merinos, and 1 think Columbus (a noted ram) was 

 the first descendant from Mr. Muller's ram and one of Col. Humphreys' ewes. You 

 are certainly wrong in thinking Columbus was the best ram in my flock. It was 

 Americus that sheared 12| pounds of wool, which I sold for $25 cash. It was Amer- 

 cus that weighed 148 pounds. Americus was begotten by Columbus and was, in my 

 opinion, in all respects, a superior sheep. 1 now think Americus was the best Merino 

 ram I have ever met with, although I have traveled from Boston to Alexandria for 

 the purpose of examining all the early importations from Spain, and of purchasing 

 the best I could find. I have expended more than $40,000 upon Merino sheep, but 

 never could find one equal to Americus in every respect. I do not remember the 

 weight of Columbus, but his fleece never weighedmore than 9^ pounds, which I sold 

 for $2 per pound. Mr. Howell gave me $300 for Columbus at a time when the best 



