26 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
weeks, which gave rise to the belief, that I was ship¬ 
wrecked and lost. When I finally arrived, the sheep 
had been already bought by Kretchman. On being in¬ 
formed of what the purchase consisted, I protested 
against taking them to America, and insisted on a bet¬ 
ter selection—but to no purpose. A quarrel ensued be¬ 
tween us, and Kretchman even went so far as to engage 
another to take charge^ of the sheep on their passage. 
My friends interposing, I was finally induced to take 
charge of them. The number shipped was 167, fifteen 
of which perished on the passage. They were sold at 
Brighton, some of them going as high as from $400 to 
$450. A portion of this importation consisted of grade 
sheep, which sold as high as the pure bloods, for the 
American purchaser could not know the difference. It 
may be readily imagined what an inducement the Brigh¬ 
ton sale held out to speculation, both in this country and 
Saxony. The German newspapers teemed with adver¬ 
tisements of sheep for sale, headed ‘ Good for the Ame¬ 
rican market and these sheep in many instances were 
actually bought up for the American market at five, 
eight, or ten dollars a head, when the pure bloods could 
not be purchased at from less than $30 to $40. In 1826, 
Messrs. Searle imported three cargoes, amounting in 
the aggregate to 513 sheep. They were of about the 
same character with their prior importations—in the 
main good, but mixed with some grade sheep. On the 
same year, a cargo of 221 arrived, on German account, 
Emil Bach, of Lepzig, supercargo. A few were good 
sheep, and of pure blood; but taken as a lot, they were 
miserable. The owners sunk about $3,000. Next came 
a cargo of 210, on German account; Wasmuss andMul- 
ter owners. The whole cost of these wag about $1,125, 
in Germany. With the exception of a small number, 
procured to make a flourish on, in their advertisements 
of sale they were sheep having no pretentions to puri¬ 
ty of blood. In 1827, the same individuals brought out 
another cargo. These were selected exclusively from 
grade flocks of low character. On the same year the 
Messrs. Searle made their last importation, consisting of 
182 sheep. Of these I know little. My friends in Ger¬ 
many wrote me, that they were like their other impor¬ 
tations, a mixture of pure and impure blooded sheep. 
It is due, however, to the Messrs. Searle to say, that as 
a whole, their importations were much better than any 
other made into Boston. 
“ I will now turn your attention to the importations 
made into other ports. In 1825, thirteen Saxons arrived 
in Portsmouth. They were miserable creatures. In 
1826, 191 sheep arrived inNew-York, per brig William, 
on German account. A portion of these were well de¬ 
scended and valuable animals; the rest were grade 
sheep. In June the same year, the brig Louisa brought 
out 173, also on German account. Not more than one- 
third of them had the least pretensions to purity of 
blood. Next we find 158, shipped at Bremen, on 
German account. Some were diseased before they 
left Bremen, and I am happy to state that twenty- 
two died before their arrival in New-York. All I in¬ 
tend to say of them is, that they were a most curious 
and motley mess of wretched animals. The next cargo 
imported, arrived in the brig Maria Elizabeth, under 
my own care. They were 165 in number, belonging to 
myself and F. Gebhard, of New-York. These sheep 
cost me $65 a head when landed in New-York. They 
sold at an average of $50 a head, thus sinking about 
$2,400! I need not say that they were exclusively of 
pure blood. A cargo of 81 arrived soon after, but I 
know nothing of their quality. The next importation 
consisted of 184, on German account per brig Warren. 
With a few exceptions they were pure blooded and good 
sheep. We next have an importation of 200, by the 
Bremen ship Louisa. They are commonly called the 
‘stop sale sheep’ They were of the most miserable cha¬ 
racter, some of them being hardly half grade sheep. 
The ship Phoebe Ann brought 120 sheep, of which I 
know little, and 60 were landed at Philadelphia, with 
the character of which I am unacquainted. Having de¬ 
termined to settle in America, I returned to Saxony, and 
spent the winter of 1826-7 in visiting and examining 
many celebrated flocks. I selected 115 from the cele¬ 
brated Machern, embarked on board the ship Albion, 
and landed in New-York June 27, 1827. In 1828, I re¬ 
ceived 80 more from the same flock, selected by a friend 
of mine, an excellent judge of sheep. I first drove them 
to Shaftsbury, adjoining the town of Hosic, where I now 
reside. On their arrival they stood me in $70 a head, 
and the lambs half that sum.” 
It should be remarked that the above statements were 
made by Mr. Grove with the greatest reluctance, and 
only at the earnest solicitation, or rather requisition of 
the committee, who conceived it their duty to place the 
whole circumstances before the public. 
It will be inferred from the facts above stated, that 
there are few Saxon flocks in the United States, that 
have not been reduced to the quality of grade sheep, by 
the promiscuous admixture of the pure and impure, 
which were imported together, and all sold to our breed¬ 
ers as pure stock. This accounts in a satisfactory man¬ 
ner for the different estimation in which this breed of 
sheep are held in Germany and this country,—and for 
the degeneracy of the pseudo Saxon of the United States. 
In its general habits and characteristics—its docility 
and patience under confinement—as well as its deficien¬ 
cy as a breeder, and its slowness in arriving at maturity, 
the Saxon bears a close resemblance to the Merino. It 
consumes about the same amount of food, and is equal¬ 
ly remarkable for its longevity. Its mutton, however, 
is considered of better color, and rather superior in quali¬ 
ty. 
THE NEW LEICESTER OR BAKEWELL SHEEP. 
The unimproved Leicester was a “large, heavy, 
coarse woolled breed” of sheep, inhabiting the midland 
counties of England. It is described also as having 
been “a slow feeder, and its flesh coarse grained, and 
with little flavor.” The breeders of that period regard¬ 
ed only size, and weight of fleece. The celebrated Mr. 
Bakewell, of Dishley, was the first who adopted a sys¬ 
tem more in accordance with the true principles of 
breeding. He selected from the flocks about him those 
sheep “ whose shape possessed the peculiarities which 
he considered would produce the largest proportion of 
valuable meat, and the smallest quantity of bone and 
offal,” and having observed that animals of medium 
size possess a greater aptitude to take on flesh, and con¬ 
sume less than those which are larger, and that prime 
fattening qualities are rarely found in sheep carrying a 
great weight of wool, he gave the preference to those 
of smaller size, and was satisfied with lighter fleeces. 
To reach the wonderful results obtained by Mr. Bake¬ 
well, it was supposed that he resorted to a cross with 
some other varieties, but it seems now to be well esta¬ 
blished that he owed his success only to a judicious prin¬ 
ciple of selection, and a steady adherence to certain 
principles of breeding. 
The improved Leicester is of large size, but some¬ 
what smaller than the original stock, and in this respect 
falls considerably below the coarser varieties of Cots- 
wold, Lincoln, &e. Where there is a sufficiency of feed, 
the New Leicester is unrivalled for its fattening proper¬ 
ties, but it will not bear hard stocking, nor must it be 
compelled to travel far in search of its food. It is in fact 
properly and exclusively a lowland sheep. In its ap¬ 
propriate situation, on the luxuriant herbage of our 
highly cultivated lands, it possesses unrivalled earliness 
of maturity, and its mutton when not too fat is of a 
good quality, but is usually coarse and comparatively 
deficient in flavor, owing to that unnatural state of fat¬ 
ness which it so readily assumes, and which the breed¬ 
er, to gain weight, so generally feeds for. The wethers 
having reached their second year are turned off’ in the 
succeeding February or March, and weigh at that age 
from thirty to thirty-five pounds to the quarter. The 
wool of the New Leicester is long, averaging, after the 
first shearing, about six inches, and the fleece weighs 
six pounds. It is of coarse quality, and little used in 
the manufacture of cloths, on account of its length, and 
that deficiency of felting properties, common in a great¬ 
er or less extent, to all the English breeds. As a comb¬ 
ing wool, however,, it stands first, and is used in the ma¬ 
nufacture of the finest bombazines. 
The high bred Leicesters of Mr. BakewelPs stock 
became shy breeders, and poor nurses, but crosses sub¬ 
sequently adopted, have obviated these defects. In 
England, where mutton is generally eaten by the labor¬ 
ing classes, the meat of this variety is in very great de¬ 
mand, and the consequent return which a sheep possess¬ 
ing such fine feeding properties is enabled to make, ren¬ 
ders it a general favorite with the breeder. Instances 
are recorded of the most extraordinary prices having 
been paid for these animals, and Mr. BakewelPs cele¬ 
brated buck “ Two-Pounder” was let for the enormous 
price of four hundred guineas for a single season! The 
New Leicester has spread into all parts of the British 
dominions, and been imported into the other countries 
of Europe and the United States. They were first in¬ 
troduced into our own country by the late Christopher 
Dunn, Esq. of Albany, about twenty-five years since. 
Subsequent importations have been made by Mr. Pow- 
el, of Philadelphia, and various other gentlemen. 
We conclude this notice of the Leicester, with the 
following description of what should constitute a per¬ 
fect animal of this breed, from the “Farmer’s Series”: 
“ The head should be hornless, long, small, tapering 
towards the muzzle, and projecting horizontally forward. 
The eyes prominent, but with a quiet expression. The 
ears thin, rather long, and directed backwards. The 
neck full and broad at its base, where it proceeds from 
the chest, but gradually tapering towards the head, and 
being particularly fine at the junction of the head and 
neck; the neck seeming to project straight from the 
chest, so that there is, with the slightest possible devia¬ 
tion, one continued horizontal line from the rump to the 
poll. The breast broad and full; the shoulders also 
broad and round, and no uneven or angular formation 
where the shoulders join either the neck or the back, 
particularly no rising of the withers, or hollow behind 
the situation of these bones. The arm fleshy through 
its whole extent, and even down to the knee. The bones 
of the leg small, standing wide apart, no looseness of 
skin about them, and comparatively bare of wool. The 
chest and barrel at once deep and round; the ribs form¬ 
ing a considerable arch from the spine, so as in some 
cases, and especially when the animal is in good condi¬ 
tion, to make the apparent width of the chest even great¬ 
er than the depth. The barrel ribbed well home, no ir¬ 
regularity of line on the back or the belly,, but, on the 
sides, the carcase very gradually diminishing in width 
towards the rump. The quarters long and full, and, as 
with the fore legs, the muscles extending down to the 
hock; the thighs also wide and full. The legs of a mo¬ 
derate length, the pelt also moderately thin, but.soft and 
elastic, and covered with a good quantity of white wool, 
not so long as in some breeds, but considerably finer.”* 
THE SOUTH DOWN. 
This breed of sheep has existed for several centuries 
in England, on a range of chalky hills called the South 
* Sheep Husbandry, p. 110. 
Downs. They were as recently as 1776, small in size, 
and of a form not superior to the common woolled sheep 
of the United States. Since that period a course of ju¬ 
dicious breeding, pursued by one man, (Mr. Ellman, of 
Gluyde,) has mainly contributed to raise this variety to 
its present high degree of perfection, and that too, with¬ 
out the admixture of the slightest degree of foreign 
blood. In our remarks on this breed of sheep, it will 
be understood that we speak of the pure improved fa¬ 
mily , as the original stock, presenting Avith trifling mo¬ 
difications, the same characteristics which they exhibit¬ 
ed sixty years since, are yet to be found in England— 
and as the middle space is occupied by a variety of 
grades, rising or falling in value, as they approximate 
to, or recede from, the pure blood. 
The South Down is an upland sheep, of medium size, 
and its avooI, Avbich in point of length belongs to the 
middle class, is estimated to rank with half grade meri¬ 
no. The aA r erage Aveight of fleece in the hill fed sheep 
is three pounds, and in the lowland, four pounds. But 
the DoAvn is cultivated more particularly for its mutton, 
Avhich for quality takes precedence of all other in the 
English markets. Its early maturity, and extreme ap¬ 
titude to lay on flesh, render it peculiarly valuable for 
this purpose. The Down is turned off at two* years 
old, and its Aveight at that age is from 80 to 100 
pounds. High fed Avethers in England, have reached 
from thirty-two to even forty pounds a quarter! Not- 
Avithstanding its great Aveight, the Doavii has, in the lan¬ 
guage of Mr. Youatt, a patience of occasional short 
keep, and an endurance of hard stocking, equal to any 
other sheep. This gives it a decided advantage over 
the bulkier Leicester, Lincolns, &c. as a mutton sheep 
in hilly districts, and those producing short and scanty 
herbage. It is hardy and healthy, though in common 
Avith the other English varieties much subject to the ca¬ 
tarrh or “ snuffles,” and no sheep better Avithstands our 
American Avinters. The Ewes are prolific breeders and 
good nurses. The Down is quiet and docile in its ha¬ 
bits, and though an industrious feeder, exhibiting little 
disposition to rove. 
A sheep possessing such qualities, must of course be 
exceedingly valuable in upland districts in the vicinity 
of markets. Accordingly, they have been introduced 
into every part of the British dominions, and imported 
into various other countries. The Emperor of Russia, 
paid Mr. Ellman, three hundred guineas for tAvo rams, 
and in 1800 “a ram belonging to the Duke of Bedford, 
was let for one season at eighty guineas, two others at 
forty guineas each, and four more at tAventy-eight gui¬ 
neas each.”f These valuable sheep Avere introduced 
into the United States a few years since by Col. J. H. 
Powell, of Philadelphia, and a small number Avas im¬ 
ported by one of the members of this committee in 
1834. The last were from the flock of Mr. Ellman. at a 
cost of $60 a head. Several other importations have 
since taken place. 
The folloAving is the description of the perfect South 
DoAvn by Mr. Ellman, the founder of the improved 
breed :— 
“The head small and hornless; the face speckled or 
gray and neither too long or too short. The lips thin, 
and the space betAveen the nose and the eyes narroAV. 
The under jaAv, or chap, fine and thin; the ears tolera¬ 
bly Avide and Avell covered Avith avooI, and the forehead 
also, andtheAvhole space between the ears Avell protect¬ 
ed by it, as a defence against the fly. 
“ The eye full and bright, but not prominent. The 
orbits of the eye, the eye cap, or bone, not too project¬ 
ing, that it may not form a fatal obstacle in lambing. 
“The neck of a medium length, thin toAvards the 
head, but enlarging toAvards the shoulders, Avhere it 
should be broad and high, and straight in its A\ r hole 
course above and below. The breast should be Avide, 
deep and projecting fonvards betAveen the fore legs, in¬ 
dicating a good constitution and a disposition to thrive. 
Corresponding with this, the shoulders should be on a 
level Avith the back, and not too wide above, they should 
bow outward from the top to the breast, indicating a 
springing rib beneath, and leaving room for it. 
“ The ribs coming out horizontally from the spine, 
and extending-far backward, and the last rib projecting 
more than others, the back flat from the shoulders to 
the setting on of the tail; the loin broad and flat; the 
rump long and broad, and the tail set on high, and near¬ 
ly on a level Avith the spine. The hips wide; the space 
between them and the last rib on either side as narroAV 
as possible, and the ribs generally presenting a circular 
form like a barrel. 
“ The belly as straight as the back. 
“ The legs neither too long nor too short. The fore 
legs straight from the breast to the foot; not bending 
inward at the knee, and standing far apart both before 
and behind; the hock having a direction rather outward, 
and the twist, or the meeting of the thighs behind, being 
particularly full, the bones fine, yet having no appear¬ 
ance of meekness, and of a speckled or dark color. 
“ The belly Avell defended with avooI,, and the wool co¬ 
ming doAvn before and behind to the knee, and to the 
hock; the wool short, close, curled and fine, and free 
from spiry projecting fibres.” 
Mr. Allen, from the committee on horses asked fur¬ 
ther time to report. Granted, and directed to report at 
the next annual meeting of the society. 
Mr. Buel, from the committee on swine, read the fol¬ 
lowing report, Avhich was accepted._ 
* Among breeders the sheep is termed a two year old or a 
two shear sheep until three years old. In this case the sheep 
is between two and a half and three years old. 
f “Fanner’s Series.” 
