EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 507 



In 1808 Messrs. 1). IM. Biiiley Bros., of \Yaslniigtun County, foiiiidod 

 a flock by ewes purchased of J. A. M. Evans, executor of tlie estate of 

 Samuel McFarland, of the sauie comity, and in a subsequent jjurcbase 

 of John M. Miller, and using rams bred by W. L. Archer. Mr. John 

 M. Miller, of Hickory, began his flock in 1868 by the purchase of 

 25 ewes from W. L. Archer, which were bred to Archer's ram and those 

 bred by Edwin Hammond and James Glass. Mr. Alexander McOal- 

 mont, of Hickory, also laid the foundation of a flock in 1868 by the 

 purchase of 25 ewes from W. L. Archer, and usedrams from Mr. Archer's 

 flock and those bred by Edwin Hammond, James G-lass, and others 

 of Atwood blood. 



There were many other flocks of Spanish Merinos founded from 1856 

 to 1870, in various parts of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, 

 which the vicissitudes of the woolen industry have driven from the 

 field, or whicli have become mixed in character. Many fine flocks still 

 exist which do not find notice in the various registers, but Avhich, nev- 

 ertheless, furnish superior fleeces and assist in maintaining the high 

 standard of wools in this section. 



The protection given the wool industry by thetarift'of 1867 was sen- 

 sibly felt by the growers in Washington County, and, in fact, through- 

 out all the western country. Of Washington County it is said : 



Stately sheep-barns were built, slieep-troughs were made, good bay-racks provided, 

 more attention paid to cutting and curing good green hay ; sheep were kept in 

 smaller flocks, the culls were fattened and sold for the shambles, and wool-growing 

 became profitable, even although the price of such wool liad fallen to 35 cents a pound. 



What was true of Washington County was also true of West Vir- 

 ginia. The business of wool-growing was good and continued to ex- 

 pand constantly, taking in new territory and employing new men. Mr. 

 C. n. Beall, writing in 1876, said: 



The grade of our flofks, the (i|nantity and quality of their wool, have of late years 

 greatly improved. Our breeders are beginning to realize the fact that if sheep are 

 prolitaljlc at all, those are most so that yield the greatest number of pounds of wool 

 of the requiied degree of fineness. This has induced sheep-breeders to exercise more 

 care in the selection of stock rams, and to breed with special reference both to 

 quantity and quality. The more wealthy and enterprising stock-owners are, for this 

 purpose, led to get their stock rams directly from Vermont. Here, by a long course 

 of careful and systematic breeding and by the continued crossing of sheep of the 

 pure Spanish blood, the Merino has been brought to a state of perfection higher 

 than anywhere else in the world. Some of our leading breeders have recently also 

 imported considerable flocks of pure-bred Merino ewes irom Vermont. The result 

 of the increased care in breeding is that the chai'acter of the sheep generally in the 

 State has been elevated with a decided improvement in the quality and increase in 

 the quantity of their wool. Besides, we have to-day Jloeks of pure Merino ewes, 

 which, in their forms and fleeces, rival the finest pioducts of Vermont. 



About 1880 the sheep-breeders of Washington County began to ques- 

 tion the profit and propriety of the large wrinkles of the Vermont 

 Merino, and to breed them out, retaining the increased size of the 

 animal and the lengthened staple of the wool. The direction of breed- 



