73 FINE WOOL SHEEP ITUSBANDRY. 
4, [do notintend specially to classify under this head, 
and attempt to describe, any separate family. Chan- 
cellor Livingston’s flock, I have understood, was pre- 
served by his descendants until about 1840, and for 
aught J know, later. Of its later history and character 
I know nothing. There were a number of breeders 
in all the Northern and Eastern States, who com- 
menced flocks with imported Spanish Merinos. Most 
of them crossed with the Saxons after 1824, and lost 
the Spanish characteristics. But there were excep- 
tions in probably nearly every state where the Merino 
was established. I know of several such instances in 
New York, but the flocks have not attained sufficient 
excellence to deserve special mention now, or they 
have been so crossed with other flocks—and particu- 
larly with those classified under the three preceding 
heads—as to retain no distinct and separate family 
character. Most of the early flockmasters of New 
York were men of large possessions, and were rather 
wool growers than breeders. In other words, the 
production of wool was the primary consideration 
that it was a subject on which they had a right to be heard, I read 
to them the preceding descriptions of their sheep as they were 
twenty years ago; my account of the results of crossing these fami- 
lies (presently to appear), and, indeed, every thing pertaining to their 
sheep in this paper, except the references to and descriptions of their 
present ndwidual flocks, which I did not read,—which, indeed, wero 
not then written. 
I solicited these gentlemen to correct my statements wherever 
they thought I had fallen into error, apprising them that if after such 
an invitation they should fail to do so, they, as much as myself, would 
be committed to the accuracy of my assertions. No cornections were 
offered, but on the contrary. Messrs. Hammond, Rich, Wright, and 
others expressed their unqualified affirmative assent to those asser- 
tions, 
