138 
ON DRIVING SHEEP. 
iu reading their eyes and countenances, and in de¬ 
ciphering their looks and actions, by which he is 
enabled to “ snuff disease” while it is yet afar off, 
and thus by timely care and the use of proper 
means, avert the trouble and danger while it can 
be successfully dealt with, which is usually be¬ 
fore it would attract the attention of common ob¬ 
servers, even among those who are sheep-owners, 
and who mean to take good care of their sheep. 
Let us now turn back for a moment, to the pe¬ 
riod when Saxon sheep were introduced into the 
United States. We have seen that it was done at 
first, and mainly, through the interest and influence 
of the manufacturers of the fine descriptions of 
woollen cloths. But the manufacturers were pow¬ 
erfully assisted in their work, by speculators, im¬ 
porters, and dealers, in Saxon sheep. It became 
noised about, all through the country, that the 
Saxon sheep were as much superior to the Merino , 
as the Merino were better than the old white na¬ 
tive sheep. Unfortunately, (though strangely as 
it now seems,) the people did not know any better 
than to believe in the grossly erroneous claims put 
forth in favor of Saxon sheep. So the new-comers, 
the Saxons, became, for a time, the universal fa¬ 
vorites. The good, hardy, heavy-fleeced, profita¬ 
ble old Merinos, went ** out of fashion,” and 
everybody then ran after the Saxons, and got Sax¬ 
on bucks and crossed them on their Merino flocks. 
Thus the best Merino flocks, which had cost so 
much money, and care, and trouble, were ruined 
and destroyed, (or nearly so,) by the cross of Saxon 
blood. Thus the delicate and unprofitable sort, 
overcame and finally drove out the stronger and 
(beyond all comparison) more valuable and profit¬ 
able race. The Saxon cross became universal , 
or so nearly so, that throughout the whole coun¬ 
try, there is no known exception. It is believed 
that there is no exception. This appears to be 
now the decided opinion of those who have the 
best and most extensive means of knowing and 
judging. There is plainly, no exception through¬ 
out the whole country, which can be clearly es¬ 
tablished and proven, even to the satisfaction of 
those who wish to believe it. The probabilities, 
are greatly against it. Of course, since the coun¬ 
try has, as some one says, “ discovered its mis¬ 
take,” and Saxons have fallen into general disre¬ 
pute, there are many persons in various parts of the 
country who have put forth claims to the possession 
of the pure, unadulterated Merino blood. This, is 
the natural result of demand, and of the general call 
and desire, which for several years past, has been 
almost universal, to get back if possible, or as far 
and as nearly as possible, to the old and profitable 
Merino blood. It is worthy of remark, that these 
claims, now-a-days put forth, to the possession of 
pure old Merino blood, derived from the former 
importations, is, as a general thing, not made by 
those who would have been most likely to be able 
to make such claim, with truth; almost or quite 
all such persons whom I have met with or heard 
of, admit, frankly, (while they lament,) their mis¬ 
take or misfortune, in having admitted or partaken 
the Saxon cross. But the claims, to present posses¬ 
sion of the old Merino blood in its purity, now come 
almost or quite universally,from persons with whom 
it is not at all likely to be true, and from those, as a 
general thing, who are not entitled to much credit 
or confidence. Not but what some among them, 
are respectable and honest, well-meaning persons; 
but owing to the general carelessness, inattention, 
and neglect, (to say nothing of their limited means 
of knowledge, and their readiness to believe what¬ 
ever stories are told them,) they are not likely to 
have any well-grounded foundation for their pecu¬ 
liar claims to exemption from the common misfor¬ 
tune, of having by means of the Saxon blood, or in 
some other way, lost , if indeed they ever possess¬ 
ed, the pure, unadulterated Merino blood, derived 
from the old importations from France and Spain. 
I have been the more willing to discuss this 
question at the present time, because it is justly 
esteemed a subject of great importance, and I no¬ 
tice the fact that it has been to some extent latter¬ 
ly, a topic of animated and interesting discussion 
among the growers of fine wool in various parts 
of the country. 
But the great length which this paper has al¬ 
ready attained, admonishes me to close it abrupt¬ 
ly ; leaving some additional remarks on our present 
subject, to be embraced in my next communica¬ 
tion, which I will endeavor shall not beat so great 
a remove from this, in point of time, as has inter¬ 
vened between my last previous missive to the 
Agriculturist, and the present. Americus. 
February 14 th, 1844. 
ON DRIVING SHEEP. 
I have been in the practice of purchasing and 
driving sheep from one portion of this state to the 
other for several years, and it may be useful to 
some of your readers to understand my method of 
conveying them in the cheapest, safest, and best 
manner. 
We start them on the road as early as light ap¬ 
pears in the eastern horizon, with an assistant be¬ 
fore them, to prevent their rapid progress, and 
many unforeseen accidents which they are exposed 
to. It will take the most of one day to break 
them into a proper line of march. On the first 
day they will push forward several miles before 
they incline to eat. As soon as they will, let them 
commence feeding on the road-side. The man 
forward will take care that they do not progress 
but little faster than they usually do when grazing 
in their pastures. They will soon learn to run by 
one another two or three rods, then stop to feed, 
the forward column will frequently form a line in 
front, as they feed in more perfect order than ma¬ 
ny of our flood-wood companies do under military 
discipline. By this even management from day 
to day, they will keep full and not be fatigued. 
We generally let them rest awhile at mid-day, and 
secure them in a small yard about sun-down, 
without any expense. They are ready and con¬ 
venient for their onward course early the next 
morning. 
I have thus managed from 600 to 1,000 many 
times on several days’ journey ; they do not appear 
fatigued, but look full through the day. Our 
flocks do not fall away in flesh, but often gain on 
their journey. This method must look reasonable 
