REARING AND FEEDING OF ANIMALS. 377 



The pure Spanish merinoes were first introduced into the 

 United States by the indefatigable exertions of Chancellor 

 LIVINGSTON and others of New York, and Col. HUMPHREY of 

 Connecticut, in the year 1802.* The importations were not, 

 however, confined to these public spirited individuals; some 

 others, in other parts of the country, with a laudable zeal to 

 improve the quality and value of their flocks, followed their 

 example. The importance of sheep husbandry was slowly but 

 surely diffusing itself throughout the nation, when the eyes of 

 the people were suddenly opened by the war of 1812, which 

 effectually checked all commerce between the inhabitants of 

 the two belligerent powers, namely, the United States and 

 Great Britain; and the want of cloths, cassimeres, &c. which 

 had been supplied by England, was very seriously felt. The 

 value of the sheep for that which he should be valued his 

 fleece, was not only justly appreciated, but in the case of the 

 merino, yielding a finer wool than others, we passed from a 

 state of apathy to the other extreme a complete mania seized 

 upon the people the most extravagant and incredible prices 

 were paid for a single full-blooded ram,t thousands entered 

 into the speculation; merino wool advanced rapidly to two 

 dollars and a quarter per pound, but suddenly fell on the res- 

 toration of commerce which immediately succeeded the decla- 

 ration of peace. Thousands were ruined the wool-growers 

 turned their attention to other matters, and although for the 

 time many flocks were shamefully neglected, yet the reputa- 

 tion of the breed on the whole was permanently established. 



Improvement of breeds. The breed of sheep to be reared in any case must be 

 selected according to the nature of the pastures, and the artificial means pos- 

 sessed of supplying food. If a mountain breed is selected for rearing on a low- 

 arable farm, then the advantage is Kt which the farm possesses of producing 

 r and finer class of animals. If, on the other hand, a lowland breed is 

 carried to a mountain farm, an error of a different kind, but yet more hurtful, 



* It is stated in the Archives of Useful Knowledge, Phila., 1810, that E. J. 

 DUPONT, Esq., of Wilmington, Del., was the owner of the first full blooded 

 merino ram introduced into America, called Don Pedro, and imported in the 

 year 1801. The importation consisted of four fine young ram lambs, selected 

 by M. DELESSERT, who had been at the head of a commission appointed by the 

 French government to select four thousand merino sheep, which by treaty 

 the Spanish government had agreed to present to France. Unfortunately, 

 three of the sheep died on the passage. The ship arrived at Philadelphia on 

 the 16th of July, 1801, in which year he tupped nine ewes near New York. 

 He was then moved to Rosendale farm, near Kingston, on the North River, 

 where, during the years 1802, 3 and 4, he served a large flock; his progeny 

 was numerous, and with their sire sold at auction in 1805, at very low prices; 

 Pedro himself being purchased by Mr. DUPONT for sixty dollars, and was re- 

 moved to Wilmington, where he continued to serve from fifty to sixty ewes 

 per annum, to the benefit of the state. 



t Such was the intense interest excited, that sales were readily effected, 

 varying from six to nine hundred dollars per head; and in a few instances, 

 from fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars were paid for a single ram! 

 32* 



