EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 265 



October 14, 1820, a half Guadaloupe and about half Humphreys buck 

 to Mr. Atwood, which was used by the latter in his flock. The subse- 

 quent history of this flock has been told in the statement made by Mr, 

 Blakeslee. The chief interest attached to it arises from the presence 

 of the Guadaloupe ram in it, spoken of by all the breeders of that day 

 as greatly superior to any other sheep then owned in the country, and 

 much sought after and used very generally by other breeders, among 

 whom were both Stephen Atwood and Jacob N. Blakeslee. 



There were many other flocks of Merinos in Connecticut at an early 

 day, but the data concerning them are meager and defective. Mr. 

 Chapman made a painstaking investigation there under many diflcul- 

 ties. The earliest breeders had all passed away, and, with the ex- 

 ception of Mr. Atwood, left no record of the origin and breeding of 

 their flocks. Those who started their flocks a little later, if still living, 

 had nearly aU sold their sheep, and having Last their direct interest in 

 the subject seemed to remember very little that could be used as accu- 

 rate and reliable data as to times when different strains of blood from 

 the later importations were introduced into their flocks. But he found 

 facts sufficient to warrant him in the conclusion that most of the early 

 Merino flocks of Connecticut were started from the importation which 

 Col. Humphreys made in 1802, and that subsequently the blood of the 

 Heaton or other importations of 1810 and 1811 was introduced into all 

 those flocks, without any exception, in greater or less degree, under 

 such circumstances as preclude the possibiUty of any having been kept 

 purely or distinctively Humphreys.* Among these early breeders were 

 W. K. Lampson, who purchased the Bacon ram; Younglove Cutler, 

 who began with a few Humphreys sheep and afterwards had some of 

 the Heaton importation; Lemuel Stone, of whom Mr. Atwood said he 

 purchased Humphreys sheep in 1819; and Joseph and Samuel H. Net- 

 tleton, both of whom had flocks started from the Humphreys importa- 

 tion, into which was bred the blood of the Heaton importation at an 

 early day. Twenty ewes of Joseph Nettleton's flock were sold to J. S. 

 Pettibone, Manchester, Vt. Joseph Fettleton died in 1824 and his 

 flock was purchased by his brother, Samuel H. JS'ettleton. 



One of the early and choice flocks of Connecticut was that of John A. 

 Taintor, who bred from the Paular and Guadaloupe, and which was 

 particularly distinguished for the quantity and quality of their wool, 

 differing from the others in a looseness of skin on the neck, with a more 

 evident degree of throatiness. Their lambs were generally produced 

 with a coarse, heavy appearance, which was succeeded by a coat of 

 unusual closeness and of excellent quality. The great object he had in 

 view when he formed his flock was quantity and quality, for with the 

 first requisite he always found the hardiest, strongest constitutions. 

 He endeavored to obtain a fleece that would produce the greatest profit, 

 and so well had he succeeded that to the time when the Saxony sheep 



* Register of the Vermont Merino Sheep Breeders' Association, Vol. n. 



