SHEEP HUSBANDRY.—NO. IV. 
181 
in that vicinity. In the year 1805 he was sold at 
auction, with M. Delessert’s other stock, and was 
purchased by M. Dupont’s agent for the trifling 
sum of sixty dollars, and was then removed to 
E. I. Dupont’s farm, near Wilmington, Delaware, 
where he ultimately excited much attention, and 
was for many years useful in laying the foundation 
of great improvement, by crossing a large number 
of native ewes. But the first introduction of pure¬ 
bred Merinos of both sexes , was in the spring of 
1802, by Chancellor Livingston, who being then 
at Paris as minister from -the United States to 
France, sent home at that time two pairs of fine 
Merinos, the best he could obtain. These he sent 
out in the care of one of his own servants, intend¬ 
ing (to use his own words), that they should be 
followed by others, which intention was not (ac¬ 
cording to my .impression), accomplished before 
1807, in which year he obtained a few additional 
very choice Merinos from the celebrated royal 
breeding flock at Rambouillet. 
This distinguished Merino flock was founded in 
the year 1786, by a careful selection, under au¬ 
thority of the Spanish king, of superior sheep from 
the best Leonese travelling flocks of Spain. This 
selected flock consisted of 367 sheep (rams and 
ewes), which were of such uncommon beauty and 
excellence, as to be the admiration of all the many 
Spanish shepherds, through whose flocks they 
passed on their journey to France. What with 
their original superiority by selection, and the care 
and skill with which they were subsequently bred 
in France, 1 “the Rambouillet Merinos, at the time 
of Mr. Livingston’s importation from that flock, 
were esteemed decidedly superior to any other 
Merinos in the world, as regards size and weight 
and quality of fleece. Besides getting rid of the very 
objectionable kempy hairs, sometimes called jarr, 
which to a considerable extent characterized many 
of the original Spanish Merinos, they had within 
the first twenty years at Rambouillet, so much im¬ 
proved in fineness, softness, and evenness, as well 
as weight of fleece, that it was found they could no 
longer, without injury, be crossed with fresh Span¬ 
ish blood, though the best that could be obtained 
from Spain. This high character the royal Ram¬ 
bouillet flock of Merinos has maintained without 
abatement up to the present day, with no loss of 
robustness of constitution nor of any other desirable 
quality. For this, I have the authority of several 
experienced observers, at different periods, of com¬ 
paratively recent date. The interesting contrast 
here presented, as compared with the less fortunate 
result of our own importations of Spanish Merino 
blood, made about twenty years later than the 
origin of the Rambouillet flock, would naturally 
suggest some important topics of reflection, which 
shall have attention in due course. 
But to return to the early introduction of Me¬ 
rinos into the United States. Mr. Livingston’s 
first importation arrived here safely, as vve said, 
in the spring of 1802, soon after which (I think 
in course of the same year), Col. Humphrey suc¬ 
ceeded in introducing into the country a much 
greater number, directly from Spain, so that, in 
the words of Mr. Livingston, “ the foundation 
was then well laid for their perfect establish¬ 
ment in the United States.” They however had 
to contend against much and strong prejudice for 
several years, during which they made but little 
progress in the esteem or confidence of the country 
at large, nor even in their immediate vicinity; and 
for the ultimate spread of these invaluable animals, 
the country was much indebted to the untiring 
personal efforts of the two patriotic citizens whom 
we have named as the authors of their first intro¬ 
duction. Suffice it to say, that in spite of prejudice 
and all obstacles, the enterprising and persevering 
efforts of those gentlemen resulted, for their own 
credit and their country’s good, in glorious success; 
holding out, in all coming time, a bright example 
to all, and especially to our public functionaries 
abroad, that the great and true interests of our 
country may be essentially promoted by other 
means than political negotiation and intrigue. 
The Merinos in the U. S., under the fostering hand 
of Mr. Livingston and Col. Humphrey, gradually 
surmounted prejudice and opposition, and finally 
grew so much into favor, that by the year 1808 
the desire for them begat a spirit of hot specula¬ 
tion, and became a sort of disease in the public 
mind, since characterized as “ the Merino sheep 
fever,” or mania, which lasted quite a length of 
time, and during which single sheep were not 
unfrequently sold for $1000 and upward, each. 
Stimulated by the high selling prices in this coun¬ 
try, many persons engaged in the importation of 
Merino sheep from Europe. The invasion of Spain 
by the armies of Napoleon, having at that period 
opportunely thrown open to the whole world the 
hitherto closed doors of that peculiar and interest¬ 
ing country, some of her choicest Merino flocks be¬ 
came the prey of speculators, and during the years 
1808, ’9, and TO, vast numbers of Spanish sheep 
were brought? to this country, and landed at almost 
all the ports from the Potomac to the Merrimac ; 
indeed, the importations to some extent, continued 
nearly up to the breaking out of the war between 
the United States and Great Britain in 1812. Se¬ 
lected, or brought out as they were without selec¬ 
tion, by persons who had but little or no knowl¬ 
edge of sheep, for the most part mere mercantile 
speculators and adventurers, of course the quality 
of those importations was unequal, and varied 
from the very worst up to the very best. The only 
wonder is, that so many good sheep should have 
been brought out in the crowd. I well remember 
that a highly intelligent man, who was at that pe¬ 
riod personally engaged in sending out a very large 
number to the U. S. from Spain, once told me, 
that at first , not being able to get access to the 
choice sheep, the travelling flocks of Spain, he 
had to purchase at Gibraltar the best he could get, 
such as were brought in as market or mutton 
sheep for the supply of the garrison; but that he 
subsequently, on the confines of Portugal, during 
the political troubles in Spain, obtained very choice 
pure-bred sheep from the Duke del Infantado’s 
flock. Of course some trash was at that period 
brought into the country; doubtless, many of the 
sheep were of the Estantes or stationary flocks of 
Spain, and had no pretensions to blood; but among 
the numerous importations, there were many en¬ 
tire shipments of inestimable value , embracing the 
