SAXON SHEEP. 91 



to myself and F. Gebhard, of New York. These sheep 

 cost me 65 dollars per head, when landed in New York. 

 They sold at an average of 50 dollars a head, thus sinking 

 about $2,400 ! I need not say that they were exclusively 

 of pure blood. A cargo of 81 arrived soon after, but I know 

 nothing of their quality. The next importation consisted of 

 184, on German account, per brig Warren. With a few ex- 

 ceptions they were pure-blooded and good sheep. We next 

 have an importation of 200 by the Bremen ship Louisa. 

 They were commonly called the 'stop sale sheep.' They 

 were of the most miserable character, some of them being 

 hardly half grade sheep. The ship Phebe Ann brought 

 120 sheep, of which I know little, and 60 were landed at 

 Philadelphia, with the character of which I am unacquainted. 

 Having determined to settle in America, I returned to Sax- 

 ony, and spent the winter of 1826-7 in visiting and exam- 

 ining many flocks. I selected 115 from the celebrated flock 

 of Macherns, embarked on board the ship Albion, and land- 

 ed in New York June 27th, 1827. In 1828, I received 80 

 more from the same flock, selected by a friend of mine, an 

 excellent judge of sheep. On their arrival they stood me 

 in 70 dollars a head, and the lambs half that sum." 



Notwithstanding so many imperfect specimens of the Sax- 

 ons, as appears from the above, reached our shores, and 

 which have laid the foundation of much prejudice towards 

 the breed, yet there are many flocks in the states which 

 rival some of the best German in fineness, and superior to 

 the latter in average weight of the fleece. The delicacy of 

 constitution which characterizes the German Saxons does 

 not appear nearly to the same degree in the American, and 

 the reader will learn by reference to the Appendix many par- 

 ticulars from different sources to corroborate this statement. 



The American breeders of this noted race have struggled 

 against a discouraging obstacle, from the injustice of manu- 

 facturers, by not paying the true difference of value between 

 their fleeces and more inferior grades. This, however, lat- 

 terly, has been somewhat rectified, and eventually, with in- 

 crease of competition, will be wholly so ; and therefore this 

 breed, with their meritorious progenitors, the Merinos, will 

 continue to be more and more extensively bred, and, by 

 proper management, with equal degrees of profit. 



The average weight of American Saxon fleeces is from 

 2 1-4 to 3 lbs. 



