25 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
u FORTUNE,” A PAULAR MERINO BUCK, 
Bred and owned 5 y Solomon W. Jewett, Esq. of Weybridge , Vermont. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker: 
The Paular Merino Sheep, when originally imported! 
from Spain into this country, were, compared with the 
other Spanish fine wooled sheep, large strong animals, 
with heavy fleeces, containing a considerable quantity 
of jarr or coarse hair. The form of this variety was 
good, but they were characterized by a huge dewlap 
extending from the jaw to the brisket, so plated and 
doubled, that if severed from the neck, it would extend 
to twice the length of that member. Numerous large 
folds or wrinkles in the skin, extended over the neck, 
and occasionally on other parts of the body. An ugly 
head, the face often singularly wrinkled; the former 
surmounted with massive horns, completed the portrait. 
The wool was exceedingly compact, gummy, black, 
and hard to the feel when grasped externally. Their 
weight of fleece among prime sheep of the variety, was 
from six to seven pounds of wool, (Avashed on the back,) 
to the buck, and from four to four and a half, and even 
five pounds, to the ewe. They were found to bear the 
cold winters and changeable climate of the U. States, 
Getter than any other Spanish variety; and though 
coarser wooled, and more unsightly than some others, 
they have ultimately obtained the preference over all. 
By far the largest portion of Paulars introduced into 
the XJ. States, and perhaps the only large importation of 
which any authentic history remains, was that made by 
the Hon. Wm. Jarvis, in 1809 and 1810. This gentle¬ 
man was acting as the Consul of the U. States at Lisbon, 
at the time that the Spanish government, pressed by the 
victorious French, was driven to raise funds by confis¬ 
cating and selling the property of the Spanish nobles 
who had espoused the cause of the invaders. The flock 
called Paulars, (from the Paular convent,) were the pro¬ 
perty of the infamously celebrated Godoy, the “ Prince 
of Peace.” They, with two or three other celebrated 
flocks, (the Montarco, the Negretti, and the Aqueirres,) 
were in the vicinity of Badajos, and were daily thinned 
for the subsistence of the Spanish troops. The Paulars 
were reduced to 7,500, when fortunately they w*ere res¬ 
cued by three individuals. These were the English 
Minister, who obtained and forwarded 4,000 to his Sove¬ 
reign; Consul Jarvis, and Gen. Downie, an English¬ 
man, who purchased the remainder. Mr. Jarvis ship¬ 
ped about 1,000 Paulars to the U. States, with drafts 
from the other three flocks abovementioned, and 200 
Escurials. Some Paulars purchased of Gen. Downie, 
were subsequently imported from Spain into the U. 
States. 
It maybe Avell here to state that the sheep imported 
by Chancellor Livingston, were not Paulars, as has beers 
i supposed by many, but were from the Itambouillet 
flock of Merinoes in France. I do not know that this 
flock belongs to any distinct family, or sub-variety of 
the Merinoes, but suppose they were originally selected 
without discrimination, from the prime flocks of Spain, 
As in France, SAveden, and every other country t<3 
which it has been exported, the Merino has decidedly 
improved in the U. States. Larger sheep—heavier 
fleeces—more symmetrical carcases have been obtainedj 
than could be found in any of the early importations.. 
Our colder climate—to say nothing of the skill of Ame¬ 
rican breeders—has increased the fineness of the Pau- 
! lars; our pastures, infinitely more nutricious than the 
scorched plains or uncultivated mountains of Spain, have 
'enlarged the carcass, and given weight to the fleeee-; 
jour breeders have robbed them of a little of their origi¬ 
nal hideousness! Improvement in the latter particular, 
might have been carried still farther, had it been de- 
fir cdl But a Paular without his “ ruffle,” would be like 
a ivhite Berkshire—nobody would give credence to his 
pedigree! 
It is often asserted that there are no pure Paulars now 
in the U. States. Individually, I consider this a matter 
of the least possible importance. There are sheep 
which no one will deny are pure Merinoes, that are 
mainly descended from the Paular stock, and which are 
in every point of view superior to the original Paulars. If 
they are not Paulars, they are an improvement on Pau¬ 
lars. Consul Jarvis, in his private flock, mixed his dif¬ 
ferent varieties as the French did at Itambouillet. In 
his judgment, it resulted in the improvement of all. 
But Mr. Jarvis kept but a small portion of the Paulars 
he imported. They were sold in every part of theUnion. 
For the satisfaction of those who esteem the Paular 
pedigree, as the lawyers say, a sine qua non , I perhaps 
should state that there are pure Paulars in the IT. States , 
in the hands of various individuals? How is this known? 
How are the pedigrees of our cattle knoAvn? Have we 
any thing to show for it, but the assertions of honorable 
and veracious men? How is the pedigree of a Durham 
bull or cow placed in the English Herd Book? Is it 
not done on the assertion of the breeder? Noav there 
are honorable and veracious men who trace back their 
Paular sheep directly to Mr. Jarvis’ and other importa¬ 
tions—who had bred them, or knew of their being bred, 
directly from such imported sheep—and who assert that 
they never have been crossed with any other variety 
Are their assertions entitled to less credit than the cat 
tie breeder’s assertions? 
