290 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Patrick, sired by Comet aud bred by Mr. Sanford, deserve notice. 

 Eureka was bred in 1861, his dam an Atwood ewe. He weighed 150 

 pounds in full fleece, and was even and well proportioned. He was 

 straight-backed, moderately round in the rib, aud deep in carcass; his 

 head was broad and well-shaped and carried well up; nose short, 

 broad and well- wrinkled aud soft aud velvety to the touch; his fleece 

 was dense, extra style and quality, highly crimped and well carried at 

 all points; staple 2J inches long; fiber 3J inches long; oil white and 

 coated him well on the outside; weight of fleece 25 pounds. He was 

 fashionably folded for his day, carrying a good neck, tail and flank, with 

 some hip and thigh folds also. He obtained great celebrity as a stock 

 ram, improving the flock of his owner, and was extensively patronized 

 by many breeders in his neighborhood, earning for his owner $8,600. 

 Mr. Sanford sold him as a lamb to W. O. Bascom, by whom he 

 was sold when a yearling to S. S. Rockwell, West Cornwall, Vt., 

 whose property he died at 7 years of age. Kilpatrick, it is believed, 

 was the first Atwood ram that sheared a fleece of one year's growth 

 that weighed over 30 pounds. He was bred in 1864. He weighed in 

 full fleece 160 pounds, which at that day was considered very heavy. 

 He was heavy-boned, with great length of carcass and was well folded 

 at neck, tail, across the thigh and flank, and somewhat wrinkled back 

 of the shoulder. His fleece was of fair density, scarcely medium in 

 quality, and fairly crimi^ed. Staple 2 inches long. The weight of his 

 fleece was at the highest 31 pounds. The oil was buff in color and 

 abundant. He had great stamina and constitutional vigor. His horns 

 were immensely strong and well-nigh covered the top of his skull. He 

 was sold to Jed Hyde, of Sudbury, Vt., and by him to L. P. Clark, of 

 Addison, in the same State, at whose i^lace he died in 1874. Mr. San- 

 ford's flock usually numbered from 150 to 200, and were all descendants 

 of the Humphreys aud Atwood shuep. They had few equals in size of 

 carcass, density and weight of fleece. 



The most noted successor of Stephen Atwood as a breeder of the 

 Atwood sheep was Edwin Hammond, of Middlebury, Vt. In January, 

 1844, W. S. andE. Hammond, of Middlebury, and E. P. Hall, of Corn- 

 wall, purchased from Mr. Atwood and his neighbors (these latter were 

 certified by the sellers as being full-blooded from Mr. Atwood's flock 

 and by Mr, Atwood as being pure Humphreys) over 100 ewes and rams. 

 They also bought of Mr. Joseph I. Bailey 6 ewes, which were bred one 

 year and the original stock and the increase theu disposed of. In one 

 instance in i)urchasing of Mr. Atwood the entire lot of ewe lambs of 

 one year was taken; in another one- third of the old ewes, Mr. Atwood 

 taking the first and third and the Hammonds and Mr. Hall the second 

 of each two. From these several purchases have come the improved 

 Merino represented by the Hammond flock. They were kept within 

 their own blood and the Atwood blood thus kept intact. The cele- 

 brated rams Wooster, Young Matchless, Old Greasy, Old Wrinkley, 



