SHEEP AND WOOL 



rapidly increasing wool factories, there was an ever in- 

 creasing demand. In towns along the southern edge of 

 the county were kept several flocks of Merinos that 

 were developed from the earlier importations, made at 

 the instigation of Colonel Humphrey, while many im- 

 portations of Saxony Merinos were made between 



1820 and 1840. . 



In 1824 the Saxony Merinos were introduced into 

 the State and most of the flocks crossed with them. Mr. 

 Samuel Scoville of Salisbury commenced a Saxony flock 

 that year and maintained it for many years. Mr. 

 Hurlburt of Winchester, in connection with Henry 

 Watson of East Windsor, purchased some of the best 

 Saxons of the first importations; and Charles B. Smith, 

 of Walcottville, at a later day, made importations from 

 the best Saxony flocks. In 1846 John Ward of Salis- 

 bury had a flock of seven hundred Saxons, with fleeces 

 averaging two and one-half pounds. R. G. Camp of 

 Litchfield had one hundred and seventy Saxons, derived 

 mostly from the flock of Charles B. Smith. The wool 

 was very fine, averaging about three pounds to the 

 sheep, and sold for sixty-six or sixty-eight cents per 



pound. . 



About 1850, during the time when the wool industry 

 was at its height, wool buyers went everywhere through 

 the country. Among these was John Brown of Har- 

 per's Ferry fame. He and his partner, Tom Swift of 



