270 
PAULAR MERINOS—NO. 6. 
or no all of them have an equal development of 
that peculiarity. I presume not. You rarely find 
two animals or things exactly alike. I merely 
spoke of it as being a general characteristic of the 
family. He also wants I should explain about 
some spots or marks on his sheep, which he says 
they usually bear, small spots of a “ sandy” (or 
brownish yellow?) color, about the legs, face, &c. 
I would here premise, that I am no astrologer, or 
“ wise man of the east,” nor at all gifted in deci¬ 
phering “ spots,” or interpreting the meaning of 
“ ring-streaked and speckled” peculiarities in 
sheep. He doubtless knows quite as much about 
such things as I do, and perhaps more. I never 
heard of a race of Merino sheep in which such 
spots were esteemed a good sign, or a desirable 
peculiarity ; still less should I consider them as a 
distinguishing mark of the Paular branch of the 
Merino family. But, for Mr. J’s comfort, I would 
say, that if he is satisfied his sheep are good, he 
had better not worry or trouble himself about 
their “spots” or “marks.” I know of but one 
race of sheep common in this country, which are 
usually apt to have spots, and often of a yellow¬ 
ish brown or mulatto color, on their legs and faces. 
I mean of course, those fine English mutton sheep, 
the South Downs. Now although I am not, as I 
said before, “ a wise man of the east,” yet being 
a Yankee , by birthright, I suppose I might hazard 
a guess or conjecture, which is freely at the ser¬ 
vice of Mr. Jewett if it will be of any benefit to 
him. Is it not possible that those spots and marks 
may throw some light on the origin of his sheep ? 
If they are, as many persons now consider them 
to be, mongrels , may not the spots be indications 
of the cross or mixture of blood, more or less 
remote, either with the South Down or some other 
sort of large English mutton sheep, which would 
account very naturally for the present form of his 
sheep, which he describes as being so handsome 
and perfect in the body , as well as for their being 
“ good for mutton,” as described by Mr. Chapman 
of Middlebury, in my quotation from the Transac¬ 
tions of the N. Y. State Society. It would also 
explain the peculiar harshness and bad quality of 
the wool of his buck Pedro, or No. 1, (the one he 
bought of Mr. Hull,) which I originally spoke of 
as closely resembling South Down wool, it being 
such as probably never grew on a pure Merino 
sheep, since the world was made. However, in 
view of everything, it is my own impression and 
belief, that the mixture of blood in the spurious or 
Wallingford Paulars, was made long since, with 
the old native mutton sheep of the country, which 
it is well known, were of English blood unim¬ 
proved, and the mixture of which with Merino, 
would account naturally for the present form and 
large size of the sheep, as well as for the charac¬ 
ter and quality of the wool. I can afford no fur¬ 
ther light in regard to the “ spots” and “ marks” 
on Mr. Jewett’s sheep. 
If he wishes to pursue the subject further, he 
might probably derive useful aid in the investiga¬ 
tion, by calling in counsel, his intimate friend and 
coadjutor, Mr. Randall, the “able corresponding 
secretary” of the New York State Agricultural 
Society, who I believe has formerly recommended 
to the owners of fine flocks, the use of South 
Down bucks, as an advantageous mixture of blood ; 
though in truth, a more pernicious one for growers 
of fine wool, could not possibly be devised, as my- 
self, and many others, have long since learned, to 
our own cost, by experience. Mr. Jewett’s friend 
Randall, is understood to be still pursuing his ex¬ 
periments in mixing with South Down blood ; but 
how he succeeds in that “ practical amalgamation” 
of white with black, (or to speak strictly, a white¬ 
faced sheep with a black or brown-faced one, dark or 
brown faces and legs being a peculiar mark of the 
beautiful formed South Downs,) we are not inform¬ 
ed. If his flock is small, and composed of sheep 
of no gteat value, whose blood he does not mind 
spoiling, and his object is mutton and amusement 
for himself, without caring for quality of wool , 
then it will do, and on a small scale can do no 
great harm, unless in misleading others (owners of 
Saxon Merino flocks) by his example. His con¬ 
tinued dabbling in the mixture of South Down 
blood, which he has certainly a perfect right to do 
as much and as long as he likes, shows, however, 
the sincerity of his advice to others, and his own 
willingness to take the miserable medicine which 
he is understood to have prescribed or suggested 
to others, as a remedy and “restorer of constitu¬ 
tion” in their flocks, failing and drooping under the 
baneful and almost ruinous effects of the cross of 
Saxon blood. Perhaps, however, Mr. Randall, by 
fraternizing with Mr. Jewett in the investigation 
of his “ spots and marks,” may find in some of 
Mr. J’s sheep (the spurious Paular for instance,) 
the South Down mixture, or something equivalent 
to it, all done, and ready to his hand, and thus be 
spared the trouble of pursuing his own experiments 
in that line, or at least accomplish by means of my 
suggestions, an important saving of time therein. 
By a natural train of association, between the 
name of Mr. Randall, and the N. Y. State Ag. 
Society (in which he has fora long time had the 
office of corresponding secretary,) I am reminded 
of the Society’s exhibition last fall, at Rochester, 
at which Mr. Jewett exhibited some specimens 
of his sheep. I believe the general impression 
there, among good judges, was, that Mr. J’s Pau¬ 
lars were spurious, or at best but a “humbug 
at least I heard this opinion freely expressed by 
woolgrowers who were there, and examined 
them, and who could have no prejudice against 
them, nor any possible motive for disparaging 
them. I fancy that Mr. Jewett, in his visit to 
Rochester, found no advantage, and small reason 
for complacency of feeling, so far as his sheep 
were concerned. I looked with some little curi¬ 
osity to see what would be said of them by the 
Society’s committee on fine-woolled sheep ; and 
found in their official report the following choice 
morceau. As it is short, I will lake the liberty 
of quoting the entire paragraph. “ Several bucks 
were presented for exhibition by Mr. S. W. Jew¬ 
ett, of Vermont, said by him to be of the Paular 
breed, which we were aUo told have produced 
heavy fleeces.” The italicising of the extract, 
is my own, just to bring out its full meaning. 
Admirable ! and prudent too, is it not ? though I 
must confess it is rather meagre. It is not ex- 
