52 CHEVIOT SHEEP. 



been introduced into the United States by Mr. Samuel 

 Campbell, of New York MUls, New York, and by Mr. Sanford 

 Howard, of Boston, Massachusetts, for Mr. Isaac Stickney, of 

 the same State. Mr. Campbell's sheep must be a cross, for he 

 writes me that he should think their weight of fleece would 

 be from 6 lbs. to 8 lbs., and that on the 13th of May, 1863, 

 they weighed alive as follows: old ram, 132 lbs.; old ewe, 

 103 lbs.; yearling ram, 102 lbs.; two yearling ewes, 99 lbs. 

 and 100 lbs. They have often been crossed successfully iu 

 Scotland and the North of England, with , larger families. 

 On the bleak, sterile mountain ranges of North-Eastern New 

 York, and. portions of New England, they probably would 

 prove a profitable acquisition. 



The Cheviot Sheep. — Some of these (middle-wooled) 

 sheep were introduced into the State of New York a number 

 of years since, and were thus mentioned by me in Sheep Hus- 

 bandry in the South (1848) : 



" Sheep of this kind have been imported into my imme- 

 diate neighborhood and were subject to my frequent inspection 

 for two or three years. They had the appearance of small 

 Leicesters, but were considerably inferior in correctness of 

 proportions to high-bred animals of that variety. They 

 perhaps more resemble a cross between the Leicester and the 

 old Native or common breed of the United States. Their 

 fleeces were too coarse to furnish a good carding wool — too 

 short for a good combing one. Mixed with a small lot of 

 better wool, their this year's clip sold for 29 cents per pound, 

 while my heavier Merino fleeces sold for 42 cents per pound. 

 They attracted no notice, and might at any time have been 

 bought of their owner for the price of common sheep of the 

 same weight. I believe the flock was broken up and sold to 

 butchers and others this spring,, after shearing. They wore 

 certainly inferior to the description of the breed by Sir John 

 Sinclair, even in 1792, quoted by Mr. Youatt,* and had all the 

 defects attributed to the original stock by Cully.f They 

 might not, however, have been favorable specimens of the 

 breed." 



Mr. Spooner thus describes the improved family : — "This 

 breed has greatly extended itself throughout the mountains 

 of Scotland, and in many instances supplanted the black- 

 faced breed ; but the change, though in many cases advantar 



* On Sheep, pp. 285-6. t CnUy on Live Stock, p IBO. 



