368 SHEEP 



been kept pure, in 1900 the author saw rams in the government 

 flock, heavy with folds, quite Spanish in character, and quite 

 different from the proper French type. The Rambouillet Merino 

 was also developed by private parties in France and Germany. 

 In 1800, M. Victor Gilbert of Wideville, France, started a flock 

 from one ram and eight ewes bought of the government, and this 

 flock was maintained in the same family by his son and grandson, 

 Victor, for a century. In northern Germany the breed was later 

 introduced and was much developed, notably in the region south 

 of the Baltic Sea and north and northeast of Berlin. Baron 

 F. Von Homeyer of Ranzin, Pomerania, became the greatest 

 German improver and increased the size, and weight and quality 

 of fleece. Mr. W. G. Markham of New York State in 1880, 

 when on a visit to wool-producing countries, inspected the Von 

 Homeyer flock and looked on it with much favor. In 1882 he 

 received a gift of a ram and two ewes from Von Homeyer, and 

 these were the first of this German breeding to be brought 

 to America. In 1885 Markham received seven rams from the 

 same source, two of which were shipped to Michigan where they 

 produced material improvement in the flocks where used. In 

 1 89 1 some Michigan breeders imported seven rams and sixteen 

 ewes from the Von Homeyer flock, and these were distributed 

 among the Rambouillet men of Michigan. In 1893 Mr. Markham 

 supervised an exhibit of Von Homeyer sheep at the World's 

 Columbian Exposition at Chicago which attracted widespread 

 attention from their great size and superior merit. This family 

 of Merinos is now extensively bred in Germany. 



The introduction of the Rambouillet to the United States first 

 occurred in 1840, under the name of French Merino, by which 

 title it was generally known until about 1889. The first importa- 

 tion appears to have been made in 1840 by D. C. Collins of 

 Hartford, Connecticut, consisting of two rams and twenty ewes 

 from the government flock of France. The head ram, named 

 Grandee, sheared fourteen pounds and was regarded as a very 

 fine specimen. In 1846 this flock with its increase was sold to 

 parties in Vermont. In May, 1846, John A. Taintor of Connecti- 

 cut imported two rams and seven ewes which he purchased 

 of Victor Gilbert. Following this, Taintor made several other 



