CHARACTERISTICS OF BREEDS. I49 



Sheep. — The sheep first introduced into this country 

 were of English origin, and generally not very dissimi- 

 lar to the ancient unimproved Down sheep. Probably 

 some were these — as many of the first cattle were the 

 Devons of that day. More than fifty years since the 

 Merinos were introduced and extensively bred. At 

 various periods other choice breeds have been intro- 

 duced. The number kept has fluctuated very much, 

 depending mainly on the market value of wool. When 

 it was high many kept sheep, and when it fell the flocks 

 were neglected. 



The true mission of the sheep in fulfilling the three- 

 fold purpose of furnishing food, and raiment, and the 

 means of fertilization, seems not yet to be generally 

 apprehended. One of the most serious defects in the 

 husbandry of New England at the present time, is the 

 prevalent neglect of sheep. Ten times the present 

 number might be easily fed, and they would give in 

 meat, wool and progeny, more direct profit than any 

 other domestic animal, and at the same time the food 

 they consume would do more towards fertilizing the 

 farms than an equal amount consumed by any other 

 animal. 



It is notorious that our pastures have seriously dete- 

 riorated in fertility and become overrun with worthless 

 weeds and bushes to the exclusion of nutritious grasses. 



