THE AMERICAN MERINO 493 



and essentially disappear. Sheep were exported from Spain and im- 

 proved in their new homes, as indicated in the following examples : 



Swedish Merinos. It is believed that the first of these sheep 

 exported from Spain were taken by Mr. Alstroemer to Sweden in 

 1723, yet but little information seems available on this point. 



Saxon Merinos. In 1765 the Elector of Saxony imported from 

 Spain 92 rams and 128 ewes, these coming from the flocks 

 of Count Negrette. Part of these were placed on a farm near 

 Dresden and were later distributed to various farms, where they 

 were carefully bred and did remarkably well. Youatt states that 

 the wool of the Saxon Merino became finer and more serrated 

 than its Spanish progenitor and so had an increased value. It has 

 been claimed that the Saxon is the least hardy of the modern 

 Merinos. The modern type of Saxon is essentially free of folds. 



German, or Silesian, Merinos. The first attempt towards the 

 establishment of this family was in 1768 by Herr Von Vinke, near 

 Halle, who introduced some Saxon Merinos. Ten years later he 

 secured pure Merinos from Spain and crossed them on the 

 sheep in that section of Germany. In 1776 Frederick the Great 

 became interested and imported 300 pure Merinos from Spain, 

 but through disease and mismanagement these came to an 

 unfortunate end. Later Von Vinke purchased 1000 pure Merinos 

 under government commission, agricultural schools were established 

 for the instruction of shepherds, and sheep husbandry was espe- 

 cially promoted. This resulted in establishing the German, or 

 Silesian, family. Mr. J. G. Eisner is said to have written ^ a 

 history of some 300 flocks in Silesia which were based on the 

 Negretti and Electoral families. Referring to these sheep in the 

 flock of the Duke of Lichnowsky, about the year 1800, located 

 near Troppau, Silesia, he says that his type was Negretti-Infantado. 



The wool was very strong, containing a large quantity of grease ; the body^ 

 barrel shaped ; the head well covered with wool, and folds around the neck ; 

 wool covering the limbs well down toward the extremities ; the skin of a deep 

 rose color — these are the main characteristics of the type. At that period 

 sheep were esteemed valuable in proportion to the many folds they had on the 

 neck aiad body, and that became the prevailing type in Moravia, Austrian and 

 Prussian Silesia, and adjoining provinces. 



1 Sheep Industry of the United States (1892), p. 383. 

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