EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI EIVER. 241 



cesters, tlie former giving 3 J pounds of wool each, and the latter 6 

 pounds, well adapted to spinuing worsted. The Leicesters had been 

 introduced as early as 1823, but not until 1843 did they receive special 

 attention on account of their wool alone. 



In 1842 a few enterprising firms in Massachusetts commenced the 

 manufacture of worsted goods and were bidding fair to establish that 

 business on a permanent basis. This called for another and entirely 

 difterent class of wool — a kind produced in great perfection in England, 

 the raising of which secured to that country the control of the manu- 

 facture of coarse and medium worsteds and enabled her to compete 

 with the world. When this worsted business commenced there was a 

 demand for long worsted wool, and some of the farmers imported some 

 of the loug-wooled breeds of sheep with the intention of supplying the 

 demand for that class of wool. Ten factories, employing 846 hands, 

 were in operation in 1845 in Massachusetts. These produced 2,321,338 

 yards of woven goods, and 617,360 pounds of yarn. But the tariff of 

 1846 closed up that business and coarse- wooled sheep shared the same 

 fate as the fine- wooled ones — they fell from 155,640 in 1845 to 72,825 in 

 1855, and there was scarcely a decent flock of sheep of any kind in the 

 State. Yet the manufacture of mousseline de laine continued, but for 

 a number of years the filling was a fine woolen thread and not worsted, 

 and required a medium wool with a medium length of staple. 



Daniel Webster is said to have imported the first Cheviot sheep into 

 Massachusetts, and in 1846 had 20 pure-bred ones, and in 1852 there 

 were some Cheviot sheep shown at the Norfolk County fair. 



In September, 1853, Eichard S. Fay had a flock of Oxford Downs 

 on his farm. Mr. Fay made his own selection from one of the best 

 flocks in England. The original stocks from which the Oxford Down 

 breed was created were Southdown and Cotswold, and from a judicious 

 course of systematic breeding for twenty-five years it became a distinct 

 race, combining the hardiness and flavor of the Southdown with the 

 weight of fleece and size of the Cotswold. These sheep were put upon 

 Mr. Fay's farm upon their arrival in September, 1853, with the native 

 Vermonters, upon rocky hills, which for twenty years had been over- 

 run with dyer's broom. They fared as well as the rest, keeping in fine 

 health and condition until driven in by winter. They were fed the 

 same as other sheep during the winter, and at lambing season were 

 given oil-cake and turnips, but no hay or straw. The Oxfordshires 

 became immediately popular, and many importations were made by 

 David Sears, jr., of Boston, by which they became widely extended. 

 These importations had gray faces and legs, not quite so dark as the 

 Southdowns, head fine, and well set; small bone, deep brisket, round 

 hams, good flat back; hips wide, and tail set up high, belly straight; 

 buttock square, legs rather short and fine, and twist full; the loin wide 

 and deep, and a wide spread between the hind legs for the development 

 of the udder, indicating good milkers. They were exceedingly gentle, 

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