EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI EIVER. 371 



ewes he raised 92 lambs without the loss of one by exposure. A 4-year- 

 old ram measured as follows : 



Ft. In. 



From nose to root of tail 4 7^ 



Height of fore shoulders 2 8 



Height of rump 2 9 



Breadth across shoulders 1 6 



Breadth across loins 1 4 



Girth around brisket and shoulders 3 10 



Weight of clean fleece^ 10 pounds. 



The Cheviot sheep were introduced into Delaware County in 1838 by 

 Robert Young, and in 1842 by George Lough and a Mr. Davison. 



These various breeds of English sheep were crossed upon the com- 

 mon sheep of the country and upon the Merino and its grades to a great 

 extent, the despised Merino during this period being of but little con- 

 sideration. All these crosses went, however, to the perceptible im- 

 provement of the common sheep, both as to its flesh and its wool. It 

 never entered into the mind of the farmer to improve his sheep in any 

 other manner than by crossing. This, however, had an exception in 

 the case of an English farmer by the name of Tonecliife. He moved 

 into Otsego County about 1815 or 1816, taking a few sheep with him. 

 He selected his best sheep for breeding, and finally so improved them 

 that he established what was thought to be a very superior breed, and 

 in the course of twelve or fifteen years had such a reputation that 

 farmers came from 50 to 100 miles to purchase what they supposed was 

 a new English breed, "the Tonecliffe breed." The owner kept the 

 secret for years, but finally said: "I can tell you where the dtfierence 

 has originated; when the butchers or drovers come to purchase sheep 

 of you, you allow them to select, but when they come to purchase of 

 me, I select for them." 



To resume the progress of the Merino — Chancellor Livingston gives 

 the weight of fleece of the original Spanish sheep as 8 J pounds in the 

 ram and 5 in the ewe. The common sheep at the same time averaged 

 about 2 pounds. From that time the march of improvement began both 

 in the Merino and the native sheep. The introduction of the Saxons 

 in 1825 to 1830 produced a weak race of sheep, which prevailed in the 

 fine-wool districts until about 1840, when a reaction commenced, and 

 people called to mind the great excellence of the old Spanish Merino. 

 A change in the tariff laws, a modified condition of the wool market, 

 and the increased demand for medium clothing wools also contributed 

 towards the overthrow of the Saxons and the second start in the pro- 

 gress of improvement. The number of pure Spanish Merino sheep 

 throughout the country was then very Mmited, and confined almost en- 

 tirely to Vermont, Connecticut, Ehode Island, and New York. From 

 these States the breeders and wool-growers of the country from Maine 

 to the Mississippi drew v^-ij largely to either establish pure-bred Span- 

 ish flocks or to improve the cross-bred wool-growing flocks. Fortu- 



