BREEDING, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAME. 309 



order to benefit the agricultural community, sent half of them to 

 Ranibouillet, and the other half to Croissy. The climate hap- 

 pened to suit them, and they were considered superior to the ex- 

 isting breeds in France. In the year 1800, Victor Gilbert 

 bought at Croissy a four year old ram and eight ewes. He bred 

 from those animals during a period of ten years, occasionally, how- 

 ever, " renewing the stock," as he termed it, by purchasing annu- 

 ally from two to four sheep. In 1821 he purchased some of the 

 Rambouillet stock, and asserts that, " from a union of the same, 

 he obtained great advantages." Now, the reader will perceive 

 that there was an alliance of blood. The two flocks were of the 

 same lineal descent, belonged to the same " family," and of course 

 the system of breeding was on the in-and-in principle. 



Now, as regards French Merinos obtained from the above 

 source, and imported into this country, we have only to refer the 

 reader to Taintor, of Hartford ; DeForrest, of New York ; 

 Sanford, of Vermont; Parker and Howard, of Ohio, and 

 many others, who are ready and willing, we presume, to testify aa 

 regards the prosperity of the above breed in this country, the result 

 of in-and-in breeding. S. W. Jewett, of Vermont, has pur- 

 chased, up to the present time, over three hundred bucks and 

 ewes, the offspring of the Croissy and Rambouillet breed, and this 

 is proof positive of the correctness of our theory. 



Now, as regards the advantages of in-and-in breeding, what are 

 they? When Victor Gilbert purchased the first ram, he car- 

 ried but 9 pounds of wool ; he finally realized 24 pounds from the 

 rams, and from the ewes 18 pounds, a tangible illustration of the 

 advantages. A very fine French Merino, originating from the 

 above source, was very recently exhibited at a sheep-shearing in 

 Wisconsin ; the animal weighed 325 pounds, and carried 40 pounds 

 of wool. Now, the originals, as I have already shown, carried 

 but 9 pounds ; so that the standard, as regards a particular quality, 

 has been raised, and that is what we understand by " improve- 

 ment." 



Mr. V. Barford, of England, has demonstrated the propriety 

 of in-and-in breeding. He is a man, however, of superior judg- 

 ment, and he culls and casts out from his flocks and herds all ani- 

 mals showing the least predisposition to any defect. A writer in 

 die " Mark Lane Express " considers Mr. Valentine Barford 

 one of the most successful in-and-in breeders of sheep in the king- 



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