328 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



friars, whom he placed in a convent that was attached to the 

 palace, as a source of revenue. These four flocks were 

 moderately gummed. The Guadaloupe flock was rather 

 larger in the bone than the two preceding, about the same 

 height, but not quite so handsomely formed, their wool was 

 thick and crimped, their skins loose and doubling, their faces 

 and legs not materially different from the two latter flocks, 

 but in general they were more gummed than either of the 

 other flocks. In point of fineness there was very little dif- 

 ference between these six flocks, and as I have been told by 

 well informed persons, there is very little difference in this 

 respect among the Leonese Transhumantes in general. The 

 Escurials, the Montarcos and the Guadaloupes were not in 

 general so heavy-horned as the other three flocks, and about 

 one in six of the bucks were without horns." 



THE SAXON, we have before seen, is one of the varieties 

 of the pure bred Merino, the foundation of which was laid by 

 an importation of some of the choicest animals into Saxony, 

 in 1765. The great care and attention bestowed ,/pon these 

 sheep by the Elector, the nobility and the most intelligent 

 farmers, soon carried them to a point of uniformity and 

 excellence of fleece, never exceeded by the best of the origi- 

 nal flocks. The breeders were selected with almost exclu- 

 sive reference to the quality of the fleece. Great care was 

 taken to prevent exposure throughout the year, and they 

 were housed on every slight emergency. The consequence 

 of this course of breeding and treatment has been, to reduce 

 the size and weight of fleece, and partially to impair that 

 hardiness and vigor of constitution, which universally cha- 

 racterised the original Transhumantes. in numerous instan- 

 ces, this management resulted in permanent injury to the 

 character of their flocks, which America has severely felt in 

 several importations of worthless animals, which a too great 

 eagerness for improvement, induced her flockmasters to use 

 with the Spanish Merinoes and their descendants, as a means 

 for this object, but which has resulted in the introduction of 

 fatal diseases and serious deterioration in their flocks. 



TJie first importation of Saxons into this country was made 

 in 1823, of four good rams, two of which went to Boston and 

 the others to Philadelphia. The next was made the follow- 

 ing year, and consisted of 75 rams and ewes which were 

 brought to Boston and sold at public auction, and afterwards 

 were scattered over the country. Another lot of 180 fol- 

 lowed to the same place, the next year, and was sold in the 



