294 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF ThE UNITED STATES 



within the flock were used and these present a grand array. The first 

 was Stowell's Sweepstakes, sire by Peerless, and bred in 1860, after- 

 ward sold to Carey, Beyer and Twitchell, Wyandotte County, Ohio. 

 Dew Drop was sired by Sweepstakes, was bred in 1862, and sold in 1869 

 to John Sheldon, Livingston County, N. Y. Golden Fleece was also 

 sired by Sweepstakes and bred in 1862. He was used very extensively 

 as a stock ram by his breeder and others, and made one season at 

 Naples and Honeoye, western New York. He died in 1874 after earn- 

 ing over $20,000 for his owner. Golden Fleece weighed in full fleece 

 from 140 to 150 pounds, and was a very showy and attractive ram, and 

 justly acquired great celebrity throughout the country. He was even 

 and well balanced in form and general contour, and possessed in a 

 marked degree what would be termed quality in every part; back 

 straight and broad throughout; ribs well arched; shoulders heavy and 

 deep, which was also true of his whole carcass. He had a good heavy 

 neck, tail, and flank, and was well folded at hip and thigh, with some 

 folds back of shoulder also. His fleece was dense, high quality, even, 

 and well crimped, opened in flakes, and showed a style and brilliancy 

 almost unrivaled. He established in the flock what is known as the 

 Stowell fleece. At four years of age he produced 26J pounds of wool, 

 at five years 26J pounds. King Solomon, sired by Golden Fleece and 

 bred in 1865, was sold to go to California. Eed Leg, by the same sire, 

 went to CaMfornia in 1870, and many of later date went to other parts 

 of the United States. In 1880 the flock", which comprised 23 rams and 

 100 ewes, passed into the possession of Messrs. Dean & Jennings, West 

 Cornwall, Vt. 



Another early Vermont Atwood flock is that of C. B. Cook, Char- 

 lotte, Chittenden County. In October, 1841, David Cook and his son, 

 Charles B. Cook, bought of Stephen Atwood a ram and 23 ewes, and 

 in January, 1845, they made a further purchase of 6 ewes and Mr. 

 Atwood's best 3 ram lambs, and of Chauncey Atwood 5 ewe lambs. In 

 1847, in company with Prosper Elitharp, of Bridport, Mr. C. B. Cook 

 purchased a few ewes of Mr. Stephen Atwood and 11 ewe lambs of 

 Chauncey Atwood. Mr. Cook used Hammond rams and those bred 

 within his own flock until 1859, when he purchased of N. A. Saxton 

 a half interest in America the other half coming to Prosper Elitliarp 

 two years later. The flock numbered 10 rams and 7 ewes in 1886. 



Prosper Elitharp, named above as purchasing Atwood sheep, com- 

 menced breeding pure-blood Merinos in 1835 and laid the founda- 

 tion of his flock by the purchase of ewes of James Baker and D. Smith, 

 of Bridport. A portion of them were bred by Leonard Beedle. A few 

 had crosses of Jarvis blood, but most of them were pure from the Andrew 

 Cock stock. A few ewes were also purchased from the flock of L. C. 

 Eemele and 1 from the Eich flock. These ewes were a cross of a Jarvis 

 ram on ewes of the Cock blood. In 1844 the foundation of the Atwood 

 portion of the flock was laid by the purchase of a half interest in the 



