EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 541 



hence the name. In 1856 the sheep of the county were rated at one- 

 third Mi-blood Merino, one-third half blood, and one-third quarter- 

 blood, and common coarse- wooled, including a few Saxony and Leices- 

 ter sheep. 



The sheep of that northwestern part of the State and in the central 

 counties embraced in the Maumee Yalley have a varied origin. The 

 fine wools of Shelby were built up on the coarse-wooled sheep. The 

 first improvement came from the eastern counties of the State and 

 from Peunslyvania. In 1845 Curtis Kelsey introduced the Yermont 

 Merino and began the formation of a flock that continued many years, 

 and in 1847 Isaac Fulton introduced Vermont Merinos from the flock 

 of Sheldon and Law. From 1848 to 1860 the formation of full-blood 

 flocks from Yermont stock was continuous and woolgrowing on the 

 increase. In Hardin County but little wool was generally grown beyond 

 what was needed for domestic purposes, and its sheep, as well as those 

 of Allen on the west, were derived from the eastern counties. The com- 

 mon breeds in 1850 were the Saxony and the Spanish Merino and a 

 cross between these two and crosses on the common sheep. About 1860 

 some Black-Top Merinos were introduced from Logan County. Han- 

 cock, Putnam, and Paulding can be classed with Hardin and Allen, 

 the wool in 1850 averaging about half-blood Merino. Defiance County, 

 in the northwest corner of the State, did not give early attention to 

 wool-growing for market. The sheep up to 1840 were of the common 

 kind, natives and low grades of all kinds, furnishing coarse wool for 

 domestic use. A little later, when a better article was needed for 

 domestic use, an occasional farmer would buy as full-blooded a Merino 

 ram as he could find and his purse allow and put him with the flock 

 and hire him to his neighbor, and in this way the flocks were gradually 

 improved. In 1852 some Yermont ranis were brought in, and in 1856 

 and 1857 Stephen Benton brought in some more Yermont rams, from 

 which came a class of sheep the rams of which sheared 8 to 12 pounds 

 aud the ewes 4 to 6 pounds washed wool. In 1863 there was but one 

 full blood breeding flock in the county, but there were many fine- wooled 

 sheep. 



Seneca County, in the middle upper part of the Maumee Yalley, had 

 some of the choicest flocks of the State at an early day. The earliest was 

 that of Thomas J. Baker, brought from New York in 1826. This flock 

 was originated in 1809 and 1810 by a purchase made by Samuel Baker, 

 of Steuben County, N. Y., of some sheep from Judge Hopkins, of Liv- 

 ingston County, these sheep being direct and immediate descendants 

 of the Humphreys importation. In 1863 the flock was still in existence, 

 numbering over 300, and had for the few years preceding been bred to 

 Hammond Yermont rams. A branch of this flock was that of A. C. 

 Baker, Keed, Seneca County. William Baker, his father, son of the 

 Samuel Baker above mentioned, had some of the Humphreys Merinos, 

 and in 1828 purchased of a Mr. Marsh, of Cayuga County, N. Y., several 



