242 
SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
think this to be an error. The great trouble at 
present with the Saxon sheep is the want of a 
cross. In the year 1764 it appears that the Elector 
of Saxony obtained permission of the King of Spain 
to import number of Escurial sheep, taken from 
the king’y own flock. In the year 1777 there was 
another importation from Spain to Saxony, of 
Escurial a, Montarcos, and Negrettas. Now% if 
either of these kinds of sheep have been kept with¬ 
out a cross, they have been bred in-and-in more 
than sixty years. If the holders of Saxon sheep 
would procure bucks of the Escurial or Montarco 
kind of pure bloods, in my opinion they would 
bring back their flocks to a state of purity. I have 
been accused by some of the Saxon wool-growers 
of having Saxon blood in my flock, probably for 
reasons well understood by themselves. I claim 
not to have any. I have lately received certificates 
from three of the gentlemen who imported the 
breed of sheep which I have now in my possession 
in their pure state, which I am prepared to substan¬ 
tiate by certificates from men of respectability, who 
have been acquainted w T ith my course of manage¬ 
ment down to the present time. 
Captain Gad Peck certifies that the sheep which I 
purchased of him he imported from Spain from the 
Don Delapontes flocks, said to be the best blood in 
Spain, and so pronounced by General Humphrey 
on their arrival here, and their blood has never 
been doubted by any one. They were of the Mon¬ 
tarco and Negretta kinds. Doctor Samuel Elton 
certifies that he was one of the importers of the 
cargo of sheep in 1811, and that the buck which I 
referred to, in giving a pedigree of my sheep, was 
a full blood Escurial. Of what blood the General 
Humphrey sheep were that this buck was crossed 
upon cannot be ascertained; but they were sup¬ 
posed to be the Escurial. It appears that the sheep 
from which my flock has sprung, were taken from 
Spain, of the same blood as those imported to 
Saxony. Now, why is it that they are so different ? 
It must be in consequence of the different course of 
breeding. I have taken great pains to cross the 
different kinds as often as once in two or three years 
—never using a buck to his own offspring. When 
I breed from a buck that represents the Montarco, 
three-fourths of the lambs will be of that kind, but 
I make no improvement from that kind of bucks. 
I then change and take a buck that represents the 
Escurial—most of them improve for two or three 
years. It may be asked by some, Why I do not 
improve from the Escurial all the time, if the im¬ 
provement comes wholly from them ? I answer, it 
is the cross which makes the improvement. It 
will not answer to breed in-and-in if we would 
preserve the flock from degenerating. I have 
always bred from the best buck that I could raise 
or find; but since I purchased the one in the year 
1828, 1 never have been able to find one out of my 
own flock that suited me for a cross. I never have 
allowed any one, in purchasing, to select one of my 
best ewes, until somewhat advanced in years. 
Since I have had the Escurial blood in the flock, I 
never have known any one that has used bucks of 
that blood, but what has made great improvement. 
I will refer to some of the gentlemen that have im¬ 
proved from my flock. Mr. Samuel H. Nettleton 
commenced with the Eseurial blood about the same 
time that I did; they are now in the care of his son. 
They have bred from my flock for the last five 
years, and I believe they have pure Merino sheep. 
Mr. Stephen Atwood, of Woodbury, purchased a 
buck of me in 1832, which he used a number of 
years, and has received great credit for his improve¬ 
ment. Messrs. Nathaniel B. Smith, of Woodbury, 
Lauren Thrall, of Torrington, Edward Hickox, 
George F. Merriman, and Dayton Mattoon, of Wa¬ 
tertown, have all of them used my bucks, and have 
made great improvements, and have very fine 
sheep. If improvement be made in this country, it 
must be from pure Spanish blood. 
It is not my intention, by this communication, to 
puff up my own sheep, or any others, above their 
merits. I have no bucks that shear 11, 12, or 14 
lb. fleeces—neither do I believe any one has,who 
has pure Merino sheep. After the introduction of 
Saxon sheep into this country, it seemed to be the; 
great end of wool-growers, to see how fine a 
sample of wool they could raise without regard to 
constitution or quantity of wool. After a while, 
many saw their errors. The next move was to see 
how great a fleece they could get without regard to 
fineness or softness of the wool, and I believe 
have bred their sheep impure to accomplish that 
object, and have sold these fleeces under the name 
of Merino wool, which has been the cause of many 
of our manufacturers forming strong prejudices 
against all Merino sheep, while most of them are 
strangers to the pure article. I contend that pure 
Spanish Merino wool is as perfect as any other that 
has been grown in this country. As I have shown 
the two opposite extremes which wool-growers 
have run into, let others shun their errors, and see 
how many of the most valuable qualities they can 
combine in one animal, or in one flock of sheep. I 
consider it of the first importance to New England 
wool-growers to improve our flocks so as to be able 
to produce the best sheep raised in any country, 
combining all these good qualities, good constitu¬ 
tion, heavy fleeces, finest wool, and perfect style. 
The gentleman alluded to in the first part of this 
communication, speaks very favorably of the 
French Merinos. He mentions a buck raised by 
Mr. Gilbert, from the Rambouillet flock, whose 
weight was 230 lbs. The question arises in my 
mind whether that buck would cross well upon our 
fine sheep in this country, which are so much 
smaller. The lambs would, of course, be much 
larger, giving the ewes great trouble in bringing 
forth, and would need a large supply of nourish¬ 
ment. The consequence would be, a long-legged, 
imperfect-shaped animal. If a gentleman who has 
the ability would import some of the Rambouillet 
ewes and cross a pure Spanish Merino buck upon 
them, the consequence would be just the reverse. 
The ewes would have no trouble in bringing forth 
—have a great supply of nourishment, and the 
lambs would be lower on the leg, and be most per¬ 
fectly-shaped animals; but after all, is it not our 
duty, in case there is as perfect stock bred in this 
country, and of as pure a race as is to be found in 
any other, to retain the credit at home, in preference 
to giving it to another nation ? I am satisfied that 
there is as great improvement made in this country 
in breeding fine stock as in any other—that there 
have been as perfect sheep raised in this country as 
