EAST OP THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 177 



this for sometime with my present race, keeping a person constantly following them 

 attended by the shepherd's dog I received from France, perfectly trained tothehusi- 

 ness. They have now the benefit of as fine pasture as can be, the dog keeping them 

 from injuring the grain in the jame inclosure. 



For the shepherd dog here alluded to Jefferson was indebted to 

 bupont de Nemours, to whom he had written March 2, 1809: " If you 

 return to us, bring a couple of pairs of true-bred shepherd's dogs. You 

 will add a valuable possession to a country now beginning to pay great 

 attention to raising sheep." 



The Merinos were safely taken to Montpelier and Monticello by the 

 agents or managers of the two estates, who came to Predericsburg to 

 receive them. When they caught sight of these animals, so renowned 

 at the time throughout the country, they were woefully disappointed. 

 " The sheep were little bits of things," says Mr. Bacon, who was Jeffer- 

 son's agent, " and Graves said he would not give his riding whip for 

 the whole lot." Their instructions were to divide them by tossing up 

 for the first choice. " So," says Mr. Bacon, " I put my hand into my 

 pocket and drew out a dollar, and said, ' Head or tail V I got the best 

 buck. He was a little fellow, but his wool was as fine almost as cotton. 

 When I got home I put a notice in the paper at Charlottesville that 

 persons who wished to improve their stock could send us 2 ewes, and 

 we would keep them until the lambs were old enough to wean and 

 then give the owners the choice of lambs, and they leave the other 

 lamb and both of the ewes. We got the greatest lot of sheep, more 

 than we wanted, 200 or 300, I think, and in a few years we had an im- 

 mense flock. People came long distances to buy 1 full-blooded sheep. 

 At first we sold them for $50, but they soon fell to $30 and $20, and 

 before I left Mr. Jefferson Merino sheep were so numerous that they 

 sold about as cheap as common ones."* 



On December 5, 1810, Jefferson expresses his thanks to Jarvis for 

 putting him in the way to " extend the improvement of one of the most 

 valuable races of our domestic animals. The Merinos are now safe 

 with me here, and good preparations made for their increase the ensu- 

 ing season. Pursuing the spirit of the hberal donor, I consider them as 

 deposited for the general good, and divesting myself of all views of 

 gain I propose to devote them to the diffusion of the race through the 

 State." His success in this laudable endeavor was marvelous, and to 

 him Virginia was gTeatly indebted for the first step in a direction that 

 might have made and continued her the greatest State of the Union. 



The improvementinwool was so great by the introduction of the Merino 

 that Jefferson, who in January, 1812, wrote to John Adams that "here 

 we do little in the fine way, bitt in coarse and middling goods a good 

 deal," said later in the same year, " of Merinos we have some thou- 

 sands, and these multiplying fast; every family of any size is now 

 getting machines on a small scale for their household purposes.' Of 



* Parton's Life of Thomas Jefferson. 

 22990 12 



