616 SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



wliicli were pure bred. He used pure-bred rams, one of which was 

 purchased of Mr. Towiisend. 



In 1864 Van Gieson Bros., of Clinton, established a flock by the pur- 

 chase of a rain and 25 ewes of Jerry Van Gieson, that had been bred 

 by George Wood & Son. In 1866 nine ewes were bought of Wood & 

 Son, and the flock was increased by additional purchases of pure-bred 

 ewes and rams. 



In 1865 Albert G. Ayers, of Jackson County, originated a flock by 

 the purchase of 8 e\ves from Abraham Stocking, of York, Livingston 

 County, N. Y. These ewes were bred by Edwin Hammond, of Ver- 

 mont. About the same time he purchased of Walter Hulbert, of Corn- 

 wall, Vt., 5 ewes, and of George Clarke, Orleans County, N". Y., 13 

 ewes. A ram was purchased, bred by Itf. G. Barber, for which Mr. 

 Ayers paid $250, and another bred by Abraham Stocking. Albert I. 

 Ayers afterwards came in possession of a portion of this flock. 



In 1864 or 1865 William Ball, of Livingston County, commenced a 

 flock by a purchase from P. & L. E. Moore, of 21 ewes, sired by Small 

 Tom, a noted ram, bred by D. E. Eobiuson, Shoreham, Vt. In 1874, in 

 company with E. W. Hardy, 19 ewes were purchased of E. D. Bush, 

 25 of B. B. Tottingham, and 29 of James Forbes, jr. In 1874-'75 sixty 

 ewes were purchased of H. W. Jones. All these combined the blood 

 of the Cock, Jarvis, and Atwood flocks. In 1875 thirty-flve ewes were 

 purchased of L. E. Moore, bred by William Cook and James Forbes, jr. 

 Thesei last combined the blood of the same flocks as the others. The 

 rams purchased or used on the flocks were of Atwood, Eobinson, and 

 Cutting blood. In 1883 the flock numbered 69 rams and 111 ewes. 



The multiplication of flocks from this time on renders an account of 

 them impracticable, and the Michigan Register supplies the record of 

 many of the pure-bred flocks formed after 1865 and to the ijresent time. 

 Euough has been given to show the origin of the Spanish Merino flocks 

 of the State and to demonstrate the high character of the blood. 



Wool continued to be one of the great staple productions of the State, 

 and upon the sale of it a large proportion of the population depended 

 for much of their income. The people did not consume their wool in 

 domestic manufacture, had no surplus capital to invest in factories, and 

 consequently the clip was exported. In 1850 the State had 746,035 

 sheep ; in 1854 it had 964,333, or an increase in four years of 217,898 

 sheep. Wool increased to 2,680,747 pounds, a gain of 637,464 pounds 

 in four years. In 1850 the average ratio of wool to a sheep was 3.73 

 l)0unds; in 1854 it was 2.78 pounds. 



In 1856 a flock of 400 Spanish Merinos sheared an average of 5 

 pounds 2 ounces of wool each, and many more are recorded as doing 

 quite as well. William Beal sheared 223 sheep in 1857 that averaged 

 5 pounds. The same flock, 283 in 1858, averaged 4 pounds, and the 

 shrinkage was accounted for by the mild winter preceding and heavy 

 rains. In 1858 Thomas Spaflbrd, of Washtenaw County, sheared a flock 



