1G6 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



of the flne-wooled breed for his seven-eighths blooded Merino ram, Poto- 

 mac Chief, of the breed of Col. Humphreys' flock." Potomac Chief 

 weighed 103 pounds and his fleece 6| pounds, unwashed. Previous to 

 this Gen. Mason is known to have had descendants of Don Pedro; 

 also a Livingston ram, and but a short time before had imported from 

 Cadiz, Spain, a flock of Infantados, to which reference will be made in 

 subsequent pages. In the following year (1812), at this fair, William 

 Marbury, of Georgetown, received a premium of $10 for his half-blooded 

 Merino raiu of Col. Humphreys' stock, crossed on the IsTorth Friesland 

 breed. The carcass of this ram weighed 157 pounds 8 ounces; its fleece 

 11 i:)ounds 14 ounces. 



The Agricultural Society of South Carolina having demonstrated 

 the success of mixing fine wool with cotton, it was suggested that 

 attempts be made to manufacture cloth at home instead of sending the 

 material north, and to improve the breed of sheep. Henry Izard, in 

 May, 1808, bought of Dr. James Mease, of Philadelphia, a Merino ram 

 from the Humphreys stock bred by him. This was the first Merino 

 tal^en into South Carolina, and the event was hailed with great satis- 

 faction as adding greatly to the resources of the State and as deserv- 

 ing the attention of the planters, for "cotton mixes admirably with 

 wool." 



In 1806 Col. Humphreys sold one ram and two ewes, full-blooded, to 

 James Caldwell for $300, and Caldwell toolc them to his farm near Had- 

 donfield, N. J. The ram soon died and the ewes were bred to a Span- 

 ish ram imported from Hesse-Oassel, and of which more hereafter. 

 Thomas Bulkley, living near Philadelphia, was a purchaser of Hum- 

 phreys sheep and bred them. In February, 1807, he advertised rams 

 and ewes for sale of this Spanish breed. In August, 1808, James 

 Wadsworth, of Geneseo, K". Y., purchased for $1,000 a full-blooded ram 

 of Col. Humphreys, which, when taken through western New York, 

 with other sheep, created considerable interest among the farmers. 

 About the same time Aaron Cleveland carried a Humphreys half- 

 blooded Merino ram into Washington County, N. Y. At the first sliow 

 of the Pennsylvania society for the improvement of the breeds of cat- 

 tle, held at Philadelphia, July 18, 1809, several rams and ewes of Hum- 

 phreys' three-fourths and seven-eighths blood, were shown, and at the 

 same place, April 3, 1810, Col. Humphreys showed eight or ten one-half, 

 three-fourths, and seven-eighths blood Merino rams, and the notice given 

 by the live-stock reporter of that day indicates that they were slow of 

 sale: "These precious animals, which have been on sale for some 

 months near the city, bear strong marks of the blood, and it is to be 

 regretted that they will be forever lost to Pennsylvania, as they are on 

 their way to the westward, where their value will no doubt be appre- 

 ciated. Their prices are considerably enhanced since last year." At 

 the same time there were shown two plates of hats, one made with G 

 ounces of half-blood Merino wool, the other with 3 ounces Merino 1 



