10 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Jam 
Basement —Fig. 4. 
beauty. We believe, however, that the merits of the 
Italian mode of building, are peculiarly adapted to our 
Fine-W<®©led SIteep in 
Editors Cultivator— Having seen frequent noti¬ 
ces of the flocks of fine-wooled sheep in Western Vir¬ 
ginia, Western Pennsylvania, and the eastern portions 
of Ohio, I thought that an account of the origin of 
some of those flocks, might be acceptable to the rea¬ 
ders of the Cultivator. I deem the history of those 
flocks of more consequence, as it throws some light on 
the general subject of improving the fineness and qual¬ 
ity of wool. I believe the eastern manufacturers con¬ 
sider the wool of this section equal in quality to any 
produced in the country. 
Most of the fine flocks in this section, were originally 
derived from the celebrated flock of the late W. R. 
Dickinson, of the firm of Wells & Dickinson, of Steu¬ 
benville, Ohio; and as the origin and history of this 
flock seems not to be generally known, I have taken 
some pains to ascertain it, and have embodied the main 
facts relating to it in the following account. 
I would state, in the first place, that at the time of 
the large importations of Saxon sheep, in 1825 and 
1826, it was stated by those who were acquainted with 
Mr. Dickinson’s flock, that he had sheep which pro¬ 
duced as fine wool as any of the imported Saxons, and 
at the same time their fleeces were much heavier. In 
1826 an opportunity of testing this point was presented. 
The Maryland Agricultural Society offered a special 
premium in the following words :—“ To the owner of 
the ram which, being shorn on the ground, [of exhibi¬ 
tion,] shall produce the greatest quantity of pick-lock 
wool.” The competition was free for the Union. The 
exhibition was held near Baltimore, on the 1st and 2d 
of June of the year above-mentioned. The first pre¬ 
mium was awarded to Mr, Dickinson, for a ram which 
he sent from Steubenville purposely for this trial. Wm. 
Patterson, of Baltimore, received a second premium 
for a Saxon ram, whose wool was said by the commit¬ 
tee to tje u a shade finer” than Mr. D.’s, but fell con¬ 
siderably short in quantity. 
In a letter dated Steubenville, Ohio, May 22, 1826, 
published in the American Farmer, vol. viii, page 81, 
Mr. Dickinson states that he purchased the foundation 
®f his flock from James Caldwell, Pennsylvania, who 
was an extensive breeder of Merinos. He commenced 
the business at an early day, having in 1806 purchased 
& ram and two ewes from Col. Humphrey’s flock. He 
expended more than forty thousand dollars in purchas¬ 
ing, to use the language of Mr, Dickinson, 11 the cream 
$f almost every importation from Spain during the in¬ 
country ; for while it possosses entire freedom from the 
stiffness of the Grecian, and admits of every variety 
of outline, it surpasses the Gothic in the simplicity of 
finish and expression of utility, which is so desirable, 
and in accordance with our republican character. This 
cottage was built from a design furnished by Mr. Geo. 
Penchard, an architect of much taste and skill, of 
this city. Figs. 2, 3, and 4, give plans of the several 
floors, and require no explanation. 
The other three cottages, alluded to above, were 
erected the past season, from designs by the same 
architect. One is in the Tuscan, one in the English 
rural Gothic, and the other in the Swiss style. The 
latter is a very beautiful specimen of its kind. It is 
covered on the sides with pointed shingles; balustrades 
extend around the two prominent sides on a level with 
the principal floor, and across the front on the second 
floor, both supported by brackets; while its broad and 
shadowy eaves give a most interesting expression to 
the whole.* 
tlie Valley of the Ohio. 
vasion of that country by the French.” Mr. Caldwell 
accumulated a large flock, which, after the peace of 
1815, w T as principally sold to Messrs. Howell, of New 
Jersey, who subsequently transferred it to Mr. Dick- 
inson. 
The letter of Mr. D. to the American Farmer, above- 
mentioned, is accompanied by one he had received from 
Mr. Caldwell, from which, as it furnishes a clear ac¬ 
count of the origin of Mr. D/s flock, and contains, be¬ 
sides, very important and valuable observations in re¬ 
lation to breeding sheep, I have thought proper to make 
the following extracts. Mr, C/s letter is dated Phila¬ 
delphia, April 11, 1826. He says 
“ In the fall of 1806, I purchased one ram and two 
ewes from Col. Humphrey’s Merino flock, for which 1 
paid $300. This ram was accidentally killed a short 
time after, and in the spring of 1807, Mr. Basse Mul¬ 
ler imported into Philadelphia six Merino sheep, which 
he said bad been obtained by him from the flock of the 
Prince of Hesse Cassel. The sheep were all remarka¬ 
bly fine animals, and at Mr. Muller’s request I took 
them to my farm, and kept them till they had recovered 
from the effects of the voyage, and were in a condition 
to travel. I then prevailed on Mr. Muller to let me 
have one of these rams, and to name his own price,. 
He consented to do this as a personal favor, and did 
not consider it a sale when he named $100 as about 
sufficient to defray the additional cost and charges. 
The sum was paid by me with great satisfaction, al¬ 
though at that time I would rather have had a ram of 
equal quality directly from Spain f thinking it best to 
procure the water from the fountain head , as less lia- 
able to impurities than farther down the stream. A 
sheep seven-eighths Merino may have all the external 
qualifications of a full-blood Merino; but no experienced 
breeder would think it equally safe or desirable to 
breed from such an animal, when the genuine full-blood 
can be obtained. I would prefer one of the best horses 
of Arabia for speed and bottom, to the most beautiful 
English racer, if I desired to propagate and perpetuate 
those qualities. And even now, I would rather cross 
with the best Spanish ram, than with the best Saxcm 
* One of the finest specimens of Gothic in the State, is the large 
and substantial mansion of Robert B. Howland of Union Springs,, 
Cayuga co., now nearly completed. It is built of stone, and every 
part of the most durable materials, all the roofs being of galvanize® 
iron. It commands a view of Cayuga lake, at one of its most beau¬ 
tiful points of scenery. 
