APPENDIX A. 415 



"Old Queen" is but two removes from the "First Choice of Old 

 Ewes," and is considered by her ownei; the mother of more valuable 

 sheep than anj^ other ewe ever owned by him. 



"First Choice of Old Ewes" was of the medium size of Atwood 

 ewes of that day, weighing about 80 lbs. She was fine in the bone, of 

 about medium length, with a short, wide head. Her general form was 

 compact, and good, with the exception of a slight flatness in the ribs. 

 She was but little wrinkled, having only the cross and double with a 

 dewlap between. Her wool was hardly two inches long, but was fine, 

 even, thick, dark, and well filled with white yolk. It covered her well on 

 belly, but she was bare on the forehead compared with the sheep of the 

 present flock, and had not much below the kiiees. Her washed fleece 

 weighed about five pounds.. She proved an extraordinary breeder, 

 and her line — the "dark or Queen line" — has always been carefully 

 preserved. 



The " Light Colored Ewe" weighed 85 or 90 lbs. She was shortish, 

 very square built, with a short, thick head and neck, medium length of 

 leg, and rounder ribs than most of the Atwood sheep. She was high 

 headed, had the cross and double with dewlap between and under the 

 chops. Her wool was about 2J inches long, very thick, and covered her 

 well on the fece and belly. She was wooled to the foot. Her fleece was 

 even but not very fine. It was light colored and rather destitute of yolk. 

 Her fleece weighed about six lbs. washed. She was an excellent breeder, 

 but not regarded as equal to the First Choice of Old Ewes, in this 

 particular. She was the origin of the " light colored line," always pre- 

 served in the flock to interbreed with the " dark or Queen line." 



"First Choice of Ewe Lambs," at maturity, weighed from 90 lbs. 

 to 95 lbs. She was strong boned, low, short, and thick in every part 

 except the neck, which was shghtly too long and thin. Her ribs were 

 well arched. She had the cross on. the brisket, but no double or dewlap, 

 and was smooth under the chops. She was regarded, however, as the 

 best formed sheep, on the whole, bought of Mr. Atwood, and also the 

 best covered one. She was well wooled on the belly, head and shanks. 

 Her fleece was about two inches long, dark externally, and well filled 

 with white yolk. Crossed in the Queen line, she produced Wooster : 

 crossed in the light colored line, she produced the Lawrence ewe. She 

 died early. Her blood was lost to the flock by the sale of Wooster and 

 the Lawrence ewe — but brought back by Mr. Hammond's putting ewes 

 to the Wooster ram, and by his subsequently re-purchasing the Law- 

 rence ramu 



I have not space here to follow out the course of breeding between 

 the three lines which has led to such extraordinary improvement. The 

 best sheep of the flock have always been produced by interbreeding 

 between them. The mode in which Sweepstakes unites the three strains 

 will be seen from his pedigree at page 131. "21 per Cent.," so often 

 named in this work, unites them through some of the most celebrated 

 animals of each line. He was got by the Lawrence ram; dam. Old 

 Tulip, an own sister of Old Queen. The " Thousand Dollar Eam " now 

 owiied by Mr. Asahel P. Wilcox, of Fayetteville, New York, was got by 

 Sweepstakes out of Old Queen's dam. "Wrinkly 3d," now owned by 

 Oapt. Davis Cossit, Onondaga, New York, was got by Sweepstakes, 

 dam. Countess, by Little Wrinkly — Countess' dam ia the light colored 

 line,. &c., &c. 



The first great change in Mr. Hammond's weight.of fleeces was made 



