APPENDIX 



LETTERS FROM DISTINGUISHED WOOL-GROWERS 

 ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR FLOCKS. 



LETTER FROM HON. W.M. JARVIS, WEATHERSFIELD, VERMONT. 



Dear Sir, — I received your favor of the 28tli ultimo, making 

 inquiries respecting Merino Sheep, and putting several questions 

 to me regarding those invaluable animals, which I cheerfully an- 

 svrer ; and the more so, because at some future period, when the 

 wool-growing business may be a primary object of agriculture 

 with the fai-mers of the Northern and Western States, much con- 

 fusion may arise from the conflicting pretensions and accounts of 

 many persons who are more disposed to puff up their flocks, than 

 to give the public correct information. 



[Mr. Jarvis here alludes to the importation of Chancellor Liv- 

 ingston.] 



The next importation was by Genl. Humphreys when he was 

 about leaving the Court of Spain, in 1801, to give place to the 

 Hon. Charles Pinckney, of South Carolina. It has been stated 

 by some late writer, that Genl. Humphreys married a Spanish 

 lady and obtained a part of his flock by means of her father. 

 This is not correct. Genl. Humphreys married the second daugh- 

 ter of John Buckley, a wealthy British merchant of Lisbon, when 

 he was Charge at the Court of Portugal, and took her with him 

 to Madrid on his appointment, in 1797, Minister at that Court. 

 The story of his obtaining these sheep is this. It was a custom 

 of the Spanish Court, when a Foreign Minister was recalled, on 

 taking leave to make him a present of five to ten bars of gold ; 

 each bar, if I recollect right, was of one pound weight ; but as 

 the law of this country forbids any Minister taking any present 

 from a foreign court, Mr. Humphreys declined it, but suggested 

 to the Minister that he should be much gratified with a royal li- 

 cense to take out of the kingdom two hundred Merino sheep. 

 This the Minister stated could not be granted, but intimated that 

 if he wished to take them out no obstruction should be thrown in 

 his way. These were purchased in Lower Leon, or Upper Es- 

 tremdura, and driven down the valley of the Mondego to Figueira, 

 where they were embarked for the United States. I never could 



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