AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 87 



For the, As:ricultural Museum. 



o 

 THE IMPBOTEMEKT OF MERINOS IK TB£ VTaTED STATES, 



J^tract of a letter from Chancellor Livingston, to 3fn 

 Custis of Arlington, dated '■Zdth June, 1810. 



My sheep shearing this year offers the I'ollovving cu" 

 rious and encouraging facts : — 



The average of the fleeces of my three stock rams, was 

 tipwards of nine pounds fourteen ounces; and one of them 

 weighed 11 lb. 11 oz. v»'hich sold at /^ per lb. as it came 

 IVom the sheep's back. I believe the United States have 

 never before vvitne^ised a tloece that sold as this did, 

 at more than >f23. — The average of the ewes' fleeces, 

 the whole ntfmber being 196, was equally interesting, as 

 y^u will see from t!ie following statement: — 



lb. oz. lb oz. 



Half bred ewes averaged 6 1 heaviest fleece, 8 

 3-4 do, do. 5 3 heaviest fleece, 7 9 



T8 do. da, . 5 6 heaviest fleece, 8 ^ 



i^Lili bred, do. 5 13 heaviest fleece, 8 13 



From this it appears, that the weight of the fleeces is 

 proportioned to the purity of the blood, and that in cros- 

 sing with these sheep we not only gain in the value of 

 the wool, but in its quantity, which [ am told is more an 

 object in your state than the quality. If so, cross your 

 long vvoolcd ewes with Clermont JNIerino rams, and I 

 am persuaded that you will add to the weight of their 

 fleeces. The next thing worthy of observation is the im- 

 provement on my stock since the last year; the average 

 of my full bred ewes was then only 51b. 2 oz. this year 

 they have gained nine ounces per head, though the keep 

 was exactly the same. I attribute this to two causes, 

 ftrst to the better selection of rams, which I am no.w able 

 to make, admiting none to my flock that are not very line 

 ^nd that yield less than 9 lb. of wool ;— and next, to the 

 general improvement occasioned by keeping and cli- 

 mate, for it is upon the young ewes that the gain is most — 

 tilc 9\i ones remaijiing as they we*c last year. A third 



