318 SHEEP INDUSTEY OF THE UNITED STATES 



expressed on one occasion by the lato Dr. George B. Loring, "her hills 

 are the natural seed-bed of the Merino." But certain sections are more 

 favorable than others for their perfect growth, and Addison County, 

 the leading Merino sheep county in the State, with her more than 

 twenty towns, has but 6 or 8 peculiarly adapted to their perfect de- 

 velopment} and it is remarked that it is sometimes the case that the 

 locality that has all the conditions for the production of a superior breed 

 may all be taken in with the naked eye from the top of some central 

 hill. 



There is a subtle influence of climate and soU on wool which it is im- 

 portant to know, and which can not be disregarded by those who 

 desire to make a success of wool-growing. It has been observed that 

 if a flock of New England Merinos be divided into four and one part 

 placed east of the Connecticut Eiver, at Walpole, N. H., another on the 

 west side of the river, in Vermont, another on the western border of 

 Vermont, and the fourth on the eastern border of 'Sew Hampshire, 

 within three or four years there will be such a difference in the quality 

 of the wool that an expert on being informed that the four kinds of 

 wool were from these different points would be able to locate it, and 

 tell which grew in each place. 



The introduction of the Merino into Vermont was for the purpose of 

 wool-growing and the improvement of the common sheep. Now 

 the breeding of the sheep is the principal pursuit, wool-growing being 

 an accompaniment. In 1815 there were many full-blood flocks, and others 

 of high grade, and their wool was generally worked up in the woolen 

 factories recently established. By 1820 some had disappeared, but 

 many still remained, some of them ftiU-blood, which in 1825 or 1826 

 were crossed with the Saxon Merino. When the Saxons were intro- 

 duced they were generally crossed with the Spanish Merino and their 

 grades, and some pure-blood Saxon flocks were started. A few years' 

 experience demonstrated the fact that they were not adapted to the 

 rigorous climate and system of sheep husbandry of the State; they 

 were discarded and a return was made to the Spanish Merino. But 

 meanwhile they had inflicted a grievous injury by ruining nearly all the 

 old flocks. Very few had escaped the cross and these were mostly small 

 ones. Consequently many persons sold out their fine sheep and grades, 

 abandoned wool growing altogether, and turned their attention to breed- 

 tug mutton sheep. A few, however, having faith in the Spanish 

 Merino, sought out such as had escaped the general contamination, 

 purchased a few, and began anew the formation of pure-blood flocks. 

 One of the first of these was William E. Sanford, who journeyed into 

 New Hampshire and bought of Grant and Jennison 20 pure-blood 

 old ewes, bred by WUliam Jarvis from his Spanish stock. This was ia 

 1830, before the inferiority of the Saxon had been generally discovered. 

 Mr. Jarvis also had been led away by the Saxon mania and crossed a 

 portion of his flock with them. Fortunately he had not crossed all of 



