DOMESTIC BKEEDS OF SHEEP. ( 
to mutton qualities, which were/very inferior, but the wool of these 
sheep has been noted for its fineness for centuries. 
Merinos were introduced into Sweden about 1723; Saxony, 1765; 
Silesia, 1768; France, m3~; United States, 1793; Cape of Good Hope, 
1797, and shortly afterwards into Australia. In all these countries 
distinct types or breeds have arisen, and marked improvements have 
taken place in many instances. In France the size, mutton qualities, 
and amount of fleece have been increased; in Saxony the fiber is of 
finer quality than that of the Spanish Merino; and similar improve- 
ments have taken place in other foreign lands. The improvements 
that have taken place in the United States will be discussed in a later 
paragraph. 
The world-wide distribution of the Merino can be accounted for by 
some of its peculiar qualities. The most important of these are its 
wide range of adaptability, its marked degree of hardiness (contrary 
to its apparently weak conformation), its inherent characteristic of 
producing a heavy fleece of superior quality, and its habit of grazing, 
these sheep banding together in large herds while feeding. 
The history of the Merino in this country has been marked by- 
alternating periods of popularity. The first importation was brought 
over by Mr. William Foster, of Boston, Mass., in 1793. The ship- 
ment consisted of one ram and two ewes, and they were presented to 
Mr. Andrew Craigue, of Cambridge. The latter gentleman failed to 
realize their value, and he had them slaughtered for mutton purposes. 
Later, when he paid $1,000 for a single ram, he recognized his mistake. 
In 1801 other small importations came over, and the Merinos grad- 
ually increased in popularity and numbers until 1810, when the fine- 
Wool craze started and they were literally imported by the thousands. 
In that year alone it is said that 10,000 were brought over. Ewes 
sold for as much as $1,000 and rams for $1,500. After the war of 
1812 the boom died down, and sheep that formerly sold for hundreds 
of dollars could now be purchased for $1 a head. Spanish Merinos 
have not been imported into this country since that period, though 
Saxon and French Merinos were subsequently introduced. 
Half a century elapsed before the Merino was again in its glory. 
The second craze swept over the country during the early sixties. At 
this time rams were frequently valued as highly as $2,500, and an 
offer of $10,000 for one ram was reported. 
The American type known as the Vermont Merino was developed 
mainly in New England. It became the heaviest w r ool-producing 
sheep in the world and the fiber was of exceptional strength and fine- 
ness. These sheep are distinctive in having heavy folds over the 
body, with the exception of on the back, these folds giving a larger 
surface for the production of wool. The wool extends over the head 
in a compact cap, often obscuring the eyes. Only the ears, the lower 
