THE MEEINO. 65 



were retained in one flock, but a portion of tlie rams were sold to 

 neighboring farmers for improvement of their flocks. In 1803 

 Dr. James Meares of Philadelphia imported two ewes and two 

 rams. 



1809 William Jarvis procured 200 Mermos of the Koyal 

 Escurial flock by special favor, and these, no doubt, were the 

 only Escurials ever imported. In 1810 Mr. Jarvis procured 

 1,400 Spanish Merinos of the Paular flock. These sheep were 

 from true Transhumantes, from the best flocks, and were un- 

 doubtedly among the best sheep imported into the United States. 



Mr. Jarvis imported approximately 1,400 Paulars, 1,700 

 Aguirres, 200 Escurials, 130 Negrettis, and about 200 Mont- 

 arcas — 3,630 in all. 



In 1810 Gen. E. H. Derby made a shipment which re- 

 sulted in landing 300 to 400 Merinos. In the same year, 1810, 

 Peck and Atwater of New Haven, Conn., imported a flock, and 

 in January, 1811, Heaton & Co. of K'ew Haven, Conn., landed 

 a cargo which were taken to Connecticut. 



From these early importations the Spanish Merino fast 

 became scattered throughout the Eastern portion of the United 

 States. The improvement has been steady until the original 

 Spanish Merino is lost sight of in the more perfected animal, 

 known as the American Merino, reared in a large number of 

 States from the far East to the extreme West, and there is not a 

 State in the Union where sheep are bred that the stamp of the 

 American Merino is not seen, and exports have reached to Aus- 

 tralia, Africa, and South America." 



In the management of Merino flocks in Spain great care is 

 exercised to promote the growth and prevent injury to the fleece 

 from any cause whatever. They are constantly under the care 

 of shepherds, who house them whenever it rains, and are always 

 stabled at night. The average amount of fibres to the square 

 inch of skin surface is from 40,000 to 48,000, far in excess of the 



