SHEEP. 285 



bred horses have a tendency to improve and quicken the 

 walking qualities of horses, farmers may consider themselves 

 as gaining some capital out of this jockey business. There are 

 other qualities which we hope other committees will bring out. 



William H. Atkins, Chairman. 



SHEEP 



HAMPSHIRE, FRANKLIN AND HAMPDEN. 



Report of the Committee. 



We must confess great disappointment at the exceedhigly 

 meagre show of sheep, in the enterprising, fertile and thrifty 

 county of Hampshire, with its sweet pastures and teeming 

 meadows, and we could but glance back to the days when that 

 noble man, the pride of his town, liis county, the whole State, 

 — Hon. 1. C. Bates, with Samuel Henshaw and the Shepherds, 

 in common with a few leading agriculturists and statesmen, 

 was one of the most eminent and successful in the introduc- 

 tion to this country of the Merino, and afterwards of the 

 Saxony sheep, — a measure which, forwarded as it was by the 

 far-seeing men of that age, did more to benefit the farmer and 

 to stimulate the manufacturer, than any other object of the 

 kind ever attempted here. The fine-woolled or Merino sheep, 

 were first introduced into this country just before the last war, 

 when the most sagacious of our statesmen began to realize the 

 necessity of cultivating manufactures, and growing the mate- 

 rial necessary to supply them — a policy which Great Britain 

 had sedulously discouraged in these colonies. 



Previous to this, however, there were many sheep in the 

 country, of no known or distinct breed, called native sheep, but 

 really imported at various times by various people, from various 

 flocks, but without care, and almost entirely for their wool, 

 which, although too coarse for fine fabrics, was consumed 

 upon the spinning wheel and loom at home. The meat was 

 very little regarded, and was not in general use. 



