EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 673 



Mr. Cockrill contended that by comparison he found that he was grow- 

 ing as fine wool as any grown in the United States or Saxony, and that 

 some others were doing the same, and that the descendants of the 

 Saxon importation in the* low latitudes of the United States were su- 

 perior to those brought over, a fact which he attributed to the climate. 

 In 1851, Mr. Cockrill put fleeces on exhibition at the World's Fair in 

 London and beat the Saxony. The report in making the award said : 



The wool transmitted by this exhibitor, from Xashville, is well got up, and exhib- 

 its, like the preceding specimens (German wool), a quality of fiber indicative of 

 care and skill in the development and improvement of the fleece, which calls for the 

 award of the prize medal. 



The flock was also successful at numerous other competitions, among 

 others at the exhibition of textile fabrics held at Cincinnati, where 

 Mr. Cockrill was accorded a gold medal for the best exhibited specimen 

 of wool. In 1860 the flock numbered about 1,200 head, and sheared as 

 many ^ ^ to the fleece and of as good quality as the flocks of Wash- 

 ington County, Pa. The flock survived the war and the presence of 

 soldiers in its immediate vicinity, but it was somewhat reduced. Five 

 hundred head remained in 1871, when the average weight of fleece was 

 something over 4 pounds, the grade very uniform and chiefly XX to 

 picklock, and the market value as high as any clothing wool grown in 

 the country. Mr. Cockrill bred his flock pure to the time of his death, 

 which occurred in 1875. It became noted, not only in Tennessee but 

 all over the United States, and many of the best Saxon flocks of Ohio 

 were enriched by an infusion of its blood. It is always referred to 

 when the possibilities of wool-growing in Tennessee are under consid- 

 eration, and certainly does show that the State can produce as good 

 wool as any other portion of the world. 



There were other flocks of Merinos besides that of Mr. Cockrill. 

 Some of these were abandoned between 1815 and 1820 ; others survived 

 for some years longer, but by 1860 nearly all had ceased to exist and 

 had given way to mutton breeds, and in 3880 there were but two or 

 three pure-bred flocks in the entire State. 



The Leicesters were the first long-wooled sheep introduced into the 

 State, and for many years they were the popular sheep. Their fleece, 

 though not quite as heavy as the Cots wolds of the present day, was 

 finer in texture. They could not compete, however, with the heavier 

 carcass, as well as fleece, of their more hardy rivals, and have almost 

 entirely disappeared and made room for the Cotswolds. There are 

 those, however, who still believe that for general purposes the Leicester 

 is unsurpassed, if not unequaled, by any other breed of sheep, and that 

 for Tennessee it is the best sheep. 



The Cotswolds were for a long time the favorite sheep, and they were 



extensively crossed on the native sheep and grades of the Leicester 



and those of the Merino that had survived the general abandonment 



of fine-wool growing. It was found that this cross made a very marked 



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