MERINO SHEEP. 
339 
those whose entire support is derived from agri¬ 
culture, and one half of the remaining third is 
under their controlling influence, so that not less 
than five sixths of the popular voice can be brought 
to bear in favor of any measure calculated to pro¬ 
mote this object. The neglect, hitherto, to secure 
the rightful interests of this great pursuit, evinces 
an apathy and indifference, alike discreditable to 
the intelligence and patriotism of the agricultural 
community. E. 
MERINO SHEEP. 
Having of late taken much interest in the 
growth of wool, and incidentally in the best breed 
of sheep for that purpose, I have concluded from 
all that I can learn of the present flockmasters of 
the country, the prices of wool, and the condition 
of our American lands for wool-growing, that the 
original Spanish sheep, of the importations from 
1802 to 1815, are the best for the general farmer, 
and particularly for my own purposes. Many 
years since, I was interested in the sheep of some 
of those importations, and I well recollect their 
fine, substantial forms; their well-covered bodies; 
and the beautiful and uniform fleeces which they 
annually yielded. But, so far as I can understand, 
those animals have many years ago passed away 
in the drooping interest that our people have suf¬ 
fered in the production of valuable wools ; and 
more than that, in the impatient, fidgety, and 
uneasy propensity of the American character to 
change and cross everything of the animal kind 
which they possess, and the proverbial disposition 
we have of not “ letting well enough alone.” 
The upshot of all this is, that the ancient flocks 
of our Merinos (by ancient, I mean from 25 to 40 
years ago), have been Saxonized by the numerous 
flocks imported in the years 1825, ’6, and ’7, prin¬ 
cipally on speculation. Indeed, these animals, 
vastly inferior, in my estimation, for the interest 
of the American wool-grower, to the Spanish 
sheep, were greedily, and without due delibera¬ 
tion, seized upon by our breeders to improve them. 
The result has been, an absolute deterioration of 
their flocks, in constitution, size, and weight of 
fleece, and as I too much fear, the almost extinction 
of the true descendants of the old Spanish sheep 
from our country. At all events, I have examined 
several flocks the past season, and among them all 
I seldom recognised anything that came up to the 
splendid old originals of the early Spanish sheep 
imported by Livingston and Humphrey in early 
days, and afterward in many select flocks, by sev¬ 
eral other distinguished sheep-fanciers and breed¬ 
ers of that day. There was a charter of nobility 
in their look; a cavalier measure in their tread; 
and the dignity of an old Spanish don in their 
presence, which outmeasured anything now seen, 
except occasionally, among the so-styled Merino 
flocks of the country. This deterioration is admit¬ 
ted by all with whom I have conversed, to be 
caused by the promiscuous breeding in of the 
Saxons with the Merinos. In corroboration of this 
sentiment, I have also the opinions of some of the 
largest wool merchants of the northern and east¬ 
ern cities, who unequivocally declare, that the 
qualities of our wool have gradually been chan¬ 
ging from the fine, close, yellow fleece of the 
Spanish Merino, into the texture of the less hardy, 
yet finer and whiter, Saxon. 
I have for some months been much interested in 
a sort of controversy which has been carried on in 
your paper regarding the merits of some sheep, 
described as being bred in Vermont, and said by 
their breeders to be pure Paular Merinos. These 
animals also have gained much notoriety in the 
columns of some of our agricultural papers, 
where th’ey have been figured, not at all to their 
credit, nor as proof, (if the pictures be correct like¬ 
nesses,) in my opinion, of the purity of their 
blood, as either Paulars, or as pure specimens of 
the Spanish Merino at all. How this may be, how¬ 
ever, I will not pretend to say. Per contra to this 
are the caustic, and, as I think, unnecessarily se¬ 
vere strictures of Examiner in the Agriculturist. 
: So far as the facts of Examiner are concerned, my 
own evidence of the present condition of fine- 
wooled sheep in America corroborates them; but 
his personalities can have little bearing on the 
real argument as to the existence of, or purity of 
blood of our fine-wooled sheep generally. 
In regard to the existence of the Paular , as a 
distinctive variety of the Spanish sheep, in the 
United States, I infer that they are a fancy breed 
now existing only in the imagination of their pro¬ 
prietors; for, so far as I have been able to ascer¬ 
tain, but very few of that valuable variety ever 
were imported into America at all; and the invet¬ 
erate propensity of the “ universal Yankee nation” 
to intermix everything of the animal kind, could 
hardly have left these to escape the usual fate of 
all things else. I also believe this from the state¬ 
ments of very many highly creditable individuals 
in different parts of the tJnion, who have much 
experience in sheep-breeding, and an intimate 
knowledge of the principal flocks throughout the 
country. 
Mr. Jarvis, of Vermont, who probably imported 
more Spanish sheep than any other single indi¬ 
vidual in the United States, declares in his essay 
last winter, published in the Boston Cultivator, 
that his own flock, although kept separate in their 
varieties for a long time, were all mixed some 
years ago, and since then he has bred them indis¬ 
criminately. It is also asserted by those who have 
abundant opportunity to know from personal ob¬ 
servation, and by wool-dealers, who have pur¬ 
chased his wool, that the Saxon blood has pre¬ 
vailed to a great extent among his flock of late 
years. So also of most, indeed, perhaps, every 
other large flock in the United States. Now and 
then, select small flocks may possibly be found, 
few and far between, the relics of some well- 
cared-for, and choice animals which have not been 
intermixed with Saxon or other blood. Yet it 
may in truth be said, if we are to believe the dis¬ 
interested testimony of the great body of wool 
growers throughout the United States, no candid 
mind can rely upon obtaining pure, unalloyed 
Spanish sheep in any considerable numbers. 
It appears to me, that the persons who have 
recommended their animals to public attention 
through the agricultural press as pure MerinoSj 
