36 FEENCH MBEIKOS INTKODUCBD. 



The late Mr. Taintor, of Hartford, Connecticut, commenced 

 importing French Merinos in 1846, and continued it through 

 several succeeding years. He selected mostly from private 

 flocks like those of M. Cughnot and M. Gilbert, which had 

 been bred much larger and heavier fleeced than the royal one. 

 Having made some inquiries of him, in 1862, in relation to the 

 sheep of his importations, he referred me to John D. Patterson 

 of Westfield, New York, who had purchased very extensively 

 of him and who owned as good animals as had ever been 

 imported. That gentleman wrote to me : 



" In answer to your inquiry as to the weight of fleece of 

 the French sheep and their live weight, I can only reply by 

 giving the result of my own flock. My French rams have 

 generally sheared from 18 to 24 pounds of an even year's 

 growth, and unwashed, but some of them, with high keeping 

 and light use, have sheared more, and my yearling rams have 

 generally sheared from 15 to 22 pounds each. My breeding 

 and yearling ewes have never averaged as low as 15 pounds 

 each, unwashed, taking the entire flock. Some of them have 

 sheared over 20 pounds each, but these were exceptions, 

 being large and in high condition. The live weight of any 

 animal of course depends very much upon its condition. My 

 yearling ewes usually range from 90 to 130 pounds each, and 

 the grown ewes from 130 to 170 pounds each, and I have had 

 some that weighed over 200 pounds each ; but these would be 

 above the average size and in high flesh. My yearling rams 

 usually weigh from 120 to 180 pounds each, and my grown 

 rams from 180 to 250 poimds each — some of them have 

 weighed over 300 pounds each, but these were unusually large 

 and in high flesh and in full fleece. I have had ram lambs 

 weigh 120 pounds at seven months old, but they were more 

 thrifty, fleshy and larger than usual at that age." 



I have seen many sheep of Mr. Taintor's importation and 

 their direct descendants. A large portion of them possessed 

 good forms considering their great size. Their wool was not 

 so fine as Mr. Collins', but of a fair medium quality and pretty 

 even. Their fleeces were very light colored externally, com- 

 pared with those of any American family, owing undoubtedly 

 to their relative deficiency in yolk and to the more soluble 

 character of their yolk. ITnless housed with care from both 

 summer and winter storms, they were about as destitute of 

 yolk before washing as a considerable class of American 

 Merinos are after it. Under common treatment, then, their 

 fleeces are greatly lighter in proportion to bulk than those of 



