Breeds of Sheep 41 



gal, secured and had shipped to this country about 

 four thousand sheep from the best flocks of Spain. 

 The Spanish sheep were kept in large flocks, and the 

 efforts of their owners towards improvement had 

 given distinction to several types or strains. Sheep- 

 breeding was deeply studied by many of the owners 

 among the Spanish nobility, and various large flocks 

 became well known for their special valuable features. 

 Chief among these were the Paulars. Mr. Jarvis 

 also sent Aquiries, Escunals, Negrettis, and Mon- 

 tarcas. A part of these remained on Mr. Jarvis' 

 Vermont farm and were afterwards intermingled 

 under his direction and further improvement sought 

 by the use of the Saxony Merino after the year 

 1826. Great interest had been aroused in sheep- 

 breeding, and "it is estimated that from April 1, 

 1810, to August 3, 1811, there were brought to the 

 United States 19,651 Merino sheep." ^ 



The interruption to commerce in general caused by 

 the War of 1812, cut off foreign supplies of wool, and 

 home prices reached fabulous figures, and so great was 

 the popularity of the Merinos that $1000 was com- 

 monly paid for individual breeding sheep. This wave 

 brought its own reaction. At an early date, it was 

 established as a policy of the United States that wool- 

 growing and woolen-manufacturing should be fos- 

 tered and protected from the competition of other 

 countries by the imposing of duties on imported 



'Plumb, "Types and Breeds of Farm Animals.'' 



