THE IMPEOVJSD INPANTADOS. 29 



two parts under the jaw, so as to form a triangular cavity or 

 "pouch" between; and there was on most of them a 

 horizontal fold of skin running across the lower portion of 

 the bosom or front of the brisket, — which was known as 

 "the cross," and which modem breeders have developed into 

 that pendulous mass now sometimes termed "the apron." 



When the Spanish Meriaos came again into credit, this 

 flock became a public favorite and colonies from it were 

 rapidly scattered throughout the United States, and particu- 

 larly in the State of New York. Some of these deteriorated, 

 but most of them continued to improve. The great and 

 leading improver of the family has been Edwin Hammond, of 

 Middlebury, Vermont. H^e made three considerable purchases 

 of Mr. Atwood's sheep between the beginning of 1844 and 

 the close of 1846 — in the two last, getting the average of the 

 flock, i. e., a proportionate number of each quality.* By a 

 perfect understanding and exquisite management of his 

 materials, this great breeder has effected quite as marked an 

 improvement in the American Merino, as Mr. Bakewell 

 eSectcd among the long-wooled sheep of England. He has 

 converted the thin, light-boned, smallish, and imperfectly 

 covered sheep above described, into large, round, low, strong- 

 boned sheep — models of compactness, and not a few of them 

 almost perfect models of beauty, for fine-wooled sheep. I 

 examined the flock nearly a week in February, 1863. They 

 were in very high condition, though the ewes were fed only 

 hay. Two of these weighed about 140 lbs. each. Numbers 

 would have reached from 110 lbs. to 125 lbs. One of the two 

 largest ewes had yielded a fleece of 17} lbs., and the other 

 14 J lbs. of unwashed wool. The whole flock, usually about 

 200 in number, with the due proportion of young and old and 

 including, say, two per cent, of grown rams, and no wethers, 

 yields an average of about 10 lbs. of unwashed wool per head. 

 The ram, "Sweepstakes," given as the frontispiece of this 

 volume, bred and now owned by Mr. Hammond, has yielded 

 a single year's fleece of unwashed wool weighing 27 lbs. His 

 weight in full fleece is about 140 lbs. Rams producing from 

 20 lbs. to 24" lbs. are not unusual in the flock. 



Mr. Hammond's sheep exhibit no hardened yolk within 

 the wool and but little externally : in nearly all of them the 

 curves of the wool can be traced to its outer tips. They are 



* In one case he bought the entire lot of owe lamha of a year ; in another, one-third 

 of theoldeweg — Mr. Atwood selecting the first and third, and Mr. Hammond tho 

 Becond of each trio. He had partners in some of his purchases, hut there is no 

 occasion to name them here. 



