534 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



much sought for and improved neighboring flocks. Most of the full- 

 blood flocks formed since 1855 were from Vermont stock. 



A majority of the flocks of Licking County owe their origin to the 

 Wells and Dickinson flock and to Washington County, Pa., crossed at 

 a later day with the Vermont Merino. The tariff of 1824 and 1828 stim- 

 ulated a great demand for fine wool, and the farmers of the county en- 

 gaged extensively in growing it, forming tine flocks for the purpose. 

 The compromise tariff of 1832 lessened the demand for wool and many 

 went out of business, and the flocks as well as the quality of the wool 

 deteriorated. Upon the revival of manufactures sheep increased and 

 many new flocks were formed. S. S. Matthews began a flock from the 

 Wells and Dickinson sheep, crossing them with Atwood rams, and had 

 in 1862 the only recorded full-blood flock in the county. There were 

 many flocks formed between 1832 and 1850, among them those of James 

 and J. C. Alward, Lucius Case, Jacob Winter, and John Gurney. Mr. 

 Gurney was a native of Massachusetts, and in 1832 removed to Ohio, 

 where in 1840 he became identified with the pure Merino sheep indus- 

 try of the State, in which he took much interest. He made frequent 

 purchases from the Vermont breeders, particularly of Edwin Ham- 

 mond, having purchased in company with Eli Kellar, Newark, Ohio, 

 the entire raising of ram lambs of Mr. Hammond, with few exceptions, 

 for four successive years. In 1833 his flock passed to his son, P. P. Gur- 

 ney. It is now principally Humphreys and Heaton blood, and is one of 

 the very few early flocks that appear in the Ohio Eegister. For many 

 years Licking County was the first in wool-growing in the Muskingum 

 Valley and in the State, and the quality of its fine- wool sheep was excel- 

 lent. In 1862 three-fourths of the wool raised was Merino. 



Coshocton County received its first Merinos from Stark County, and 

 its experience with the Saxons was similar to that of other sections of 

 eastern Ohio. Of its later breeders Mr. T. S. Humrickhouse was well 

 known. He began his flock with Ohio Merinos, which he gradually 

 abandoned, and then bred entirely from the Connecticut and Vermont 

 Atwood Merinos. The foundation of his Atwood stock was laid in 

 1852 by the purchase of 3 ewes from Edwin Hammond, one in 1854 

 and one in 1856, and one ewe from Stephen Atwood in 1854. He 

 used rams bred by Stephen Atwood and Edwin Hammond, and others 

 of the same blood and also those of his own breeding. In 1876 the 

 flock was still in existence, bred in the pure At wood-Hammond line, 

 and contained 6 rams and 21 ewes. 



Kichland, Ashland, and Wayne counties, at the head of the Mus- 

 kingum Valley, had many superior sheep at an early day, and the vicis- 

 situdes in the breeding and in the varieties bred have been similar to 

 those in other parts of the State. Wool-growing was generally profitable. 

 The native sheep were improved by a cross with the Spanish Merino. 

 The small or ordinary sized sheep, of fine wool and long staple, were 

 thought to be the most profitable, such as a cross between the Saxon 

 and the Spanish Merino, and later with the French Merino. 



