THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 153 



period of ten years ; occasionally, however, " renewing the 

 stock," as he termed it, by purchasing annually from two to 

 four sheep. In 1821 he purchased some of the Rambouillet 

 stock, and asserts that " from a union of the same he obtained 

 great advantages." Now the reader will perceive that here 

 was an alliance of blood ; the two flocks were of the same lineal 

 descent, belonged to the same " family," and of course the sys- 

 tem of breeding wa« on the in-and-in principle. 



Now as regards French Merinos obtained from the above 

 source, and imported into this country, we have only to refer the 

 reader to " Taintor, of Hartford, DeForrest, of New York, San- 

 ford, of Vermont, Parker and Howard, of Ohio," and many others, 

 who are ready and willing, we presume, to tes^tify as regards 

 the prosperity of the above breed in this country, the result of 

 in-and-in breeding. S. W. Jewett, of Vermont, has pur- 

 chased, up to the present time, over three hundred bucks and 

 ewes, the offspring of the Croissy and Rambouillet breed, 

 and this is proof positive of the correctness of our theory. 

 Now as regards the advantages of in-and-in breeding, what 

 are they ? 



When Victor Gilbert purchased the first ram, he carried but 

 9 pounds of wool ; he finally realized 24 pounds from the 

 rams, and from the ewes 18 pounds ; a tangible illustration of 

 the advantages. A very fine French Merino, originating from 

 the above source, was very recently exhibited at a sheep-shear- 

 ing in Wisconsin; the animal weighed 325 pounds, and carried 

 40 pounds of wool. Now the originals, as I have already 

 shown, carried but "nine pounds ;" so that the standard, as re- 

 gards a particular quality, has been raised, and that is what we 

 understand by " improvement." 



Mr. V. Barford of England has demonsti-ated the propriety 

 of in-and-in breeding ; he is a man, however, of superior 

 judgment, and he culls and casts out, from his flocks and herds, 

 all animals showing the least predisposition to any defect. A 

 writer in the Mark Lane Express, considers Mr. Valentine 

 Barford "one of the most successful in-and-in breeders of sheep 

 in the kingdom ; for he has bred from the pure Blakewell blood 



