THE ilERINO. Gl 



At a very early period !Miletus, a Grecian colony in Syria, 

 was celebrated for its woolen fabrics, and historians lead ns to 

 believe that not only the woolen goods but also the sheep that 

 produced the wool were carried into Greece itself. 



708 B. C., Tarentum, in Italy, was settled by the Greeks, 

 and of this prosperous settlement mention is made of the produc- 

 tion and manufacture of its excellent wool. The Tarentine 

 sheep were unexcelled for their fine wool. Dr. Perry notes that 

 the Spanish Merino and the ancient Italian race seem to have 

 certain qualities common to both. It was a marked character- 

 istic of these sheep that the rams had horns and the ewes had 

 none, and this is believed to be the only breed of short-wooled 

 sheep in Europe presenting this distinguishing characteristic. 



Morrell states that about the beginning of the Christian 

 era, the sheep of Italy surpassed all others in the fineness of their 

 fleeces, and according to Pliny 'the best wools are those of Apulia, 

 which are of a very short staple.' 



Youatt says of the sheep of Spain that they were probably 

 imported from Italy. They were the Tarentine breed and had 

 gradually spread to the western extremity of Europe. 



These sheep once introduced and established never after- 

 ward were aliens to the country of Spain. In the eighth cen- 

 tury the Saracens and Moors conquered a portion of Spain, which 

 abounded in flocks and herds. These people were enterprising, 

 and under their management the sheep increased in number and 

 popularity, and to such an extent had grown the wool industry 

 of Spain and so renowned her woolen fabrics that in the 

 thirteenth century 16,000 looms were in operation in Seville 

 alone, but later, when the Moors were expelled from Spain, the 

 looms of Seville dwindled to sixty, and Spain was importing 

 wool. In 1576 she exported to Bruges 40,000 sacks, each sell- 

 ing for no less than $45. Others of finer quality were shipped 

 to Italy at the price of $112.50 per sack. For centuries the 



