434 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



them, and recourse was had to select common sheep and the hire of or 

 partnership in a full-blooded ram. Of this crossing on the common 

 sheep and the economic value of the Spanish Merino at this early day, 

 an extract from the Memoirs of the Philadelphia Society for promoting 

 Agriculture, for 1815, is given : 



The fortunate introduction of the Spanish, English, and Barbary sheep, all of 

 which are now spreading through the Middle States, may be considered as important 

 acquisitions to the agricultural interests. With regard to the Spanish sheep, it is 

 found by years of experience that the cross with American ewes produces a healthy, 

 hardy, gentle race, which fatten more speedily than the pure American blood ; do 

 not lose their wool when shearing has been neglected beyond the usual time, and do 

 not become diseased when fat. The fine quality of the wool is known to all the 

 world; and what is of great consequence, the weight of fleece of the cross with 

 American ewes is evidently increased when compared with the imported sheep. The 

 same increase takes place in the cross with the English sheep. It may be well to 

 add that the wool of sheep from the Spanish cross exhibits the most evident marks 

 of improvement. This adds another proof to the many which all parts of the world 

 furnish that the prejudice respecting the peculiar nature of the climate of Spain, 

 being exclusively calculated to produce fine wool, is erroneous. 



Most of the Merino flocks near Philadelphia were owned in Delaware 

 County, and some of them were very large, many of them as late as 

 1824 having 1,000 to 3,000 head. One large grower was James Mcllvain, 

 who had in 1823 over 1,500 head. Five hundred of these he exhibited 

 at the cattle show of that year, described by a Philadelphia paper as 

 " all in high health, with clean noses, rosy skins, lively eyes, and silk- 

 like fleece." 



Among those who shipped Merino sheep from Cadiz, Spain, in 1810 

 and 1811, was Bichard W. Meade, then United States consul at that 

 place. All his shipments are believed to have been Infantados. On 

 August 1, 1812, David Eose, of Delaware County, took on shares 60 

 ewes, 2 rams, and 8 lambs, the property of Mr. Meade, then in Spain, 

 and agreed to pay $6 per annum for each sheep for five years, whether 

 it lived or died. On August 1, 1817, at the expiration of the contract, 

 Mr. Eose delivered to the agent of Mr. Meade 32 old sheep and 149 

 young ones, making in all 181, and had for his own share 149, just half 

 the increase 5 so that the whole flock at the expiration of the five years 

 consisted of 330, almost five times the number he had received. These 

 sheep yielded from 4 to 5 pounds of wool, sometimes more, depending 

 upon the condition in which they were kept. The Merino carcass was 

 generally light, but was easily fattened, and Mr. Eose sold in the Phila- 

 delphia market, at a later day, some fatted wethers for $2 per head 

 after being sheared, and the mutton was pronounced excellent. 



In 1814 W. J. Miller, of Philadelphia County, took possession of a 

 farm of 194 acres that his predecessor had occupied, as a tenant, as a 

 sheep farm since 1809. Mr. Miller says: " My predecessor commenced, 

 I believe, with 100 to 150 Merinos in 3 809," and having assumed his 

 contract in September, 1814, Miller had turned over to him 236 sheep, 

 9 cows, and 6 horses to keep over winter. It may be remarked just 



