ARLINGTON SHEEP. SMlTil's ISLAND SHEEP. 133 



Livingston observes, " they appeared as if they had been 

 broken and set by an awkvi^ard surgeon." When running, 

 its gait was of a hobbling or rickety character, and painful 

 to the beholder. The body was long and round, and the 

 animal presented no other evidence of mal-formation. Cu- 

 riosity induced, at first, breeding from it, and the progeny 

 presented a striking resemblance to the sire. They were 

 prized for no other reason than because nature had deprived 

 them of the power to scale fences and commit depredations 

 on the farmers' crops, which was so characteristic of their 

 progenitors. This is probably the only instance where man 

 has availed himself of a defect in the animal kingdom, and 

 turned it to his advantage. 



ARLINGTON LONG WOOLED SHEEP. 



Chancellor Livingston thus notices this breed : " From 

 the Otter breed I turn with pleasure to the Arlington long 

 wooled sheep. These, Mr. Custis, who was the original 

 breeder of them, informs me were derived from the stock of 

 that distinguished farmer, soldier, statesman, and patriot, 

 Washington ; who had collected at Mount Vernon whatever 

 he believed useful to the agriculture of his country ; and, 

 among other animals a Persian ram, which Mr. Custis de- 

 scribes as being very large and well formed, carrying wool 

 of great length, but of a coarse staple. This stock, inter- 

 mixed with the Bakewell, are the source from which the 

 fine Arlington sheep are derived ; some of which, he says, 

 carry wool fourteen inches in length, and are formed upon 

 the Bakewell model. * * * * ^pj^g sample of wool 

 which Mr. Custis sent me from this stock possessed every 

 ingredient which is esteemed in combing wool. It was fine 

 for the sort, soft, silky, and beautifully white." 



This breed is still held in high estimation among some 

 farmers in Virginia and Maryland, but are now very much 

 inferior to their ancestors, and the improved long wooled 

 British breeds, both for mutton and value of fleece. 



There is yet another breed of sheep to notice, which have 

 been somewhat famous, and were doubtless abundantly su- 

 perior to the average of other sheep of the day. They 

 were called the 



smith's ISLAND SHEEP. 



The island is on the coast of Virginia, and it, together 



