Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-08-19
agrtrnIturaI.
From the Prairie Farmer.
History md characteristics Of the Sew.
cral Breeds of sheep.
By HsNRY 8. RANDALL

By HsNRv 8. RANDALL
The principal breeds Of sheep 10 the United
States are the "native," ESQ called;) the Span
ish and Saxon Merinos, introduced from the
countries whose names they bear; and the
New Leicester or BLACKWELL, the South Down,
and some minor importations Of Cotswold,
Lincolnshire, &c. Chancellor Livingston al.
so speaks of two races 90 s'indigenous" to
this country, which we have not enumerated,
as il is not known to the committee that they
are now bred in any portion Of the United
States, viz: the Otter and Smiths Island
Sheep, breeds said TO have been discovered on
two Islands Of our Atlantic coast. An almost
infinite variety Of crosses have taken place be-
tween the Spanish, English, and .'native"
families. To SO great an extent, indeed, has
this been carried, that there are comparatively
speaking, few focks In the United States that
preserve entire the distinctive characteristics
ofany one breed, or that can Ray claim to I'M
mixed purity ofblood.
Native Sheep. Although this name 10 popu-
larly applied 10 the common coarse wooded
sheep Of the country, which existed here pre-
viously TO the importation Of the improved
breeds, there is, properly speaking. no race Of
sheep native TO North America. Mr.. Living
ston, in speaking ola race as "indgenoas," on
ly quoted the language of anolher,s and his
informant was either mistaken as 10 the fact.
or Inexperienced the term. The only AMI
NAL of the genus Opis. originally inhabiting
this country, is the Argali,t known 10 our en-
terprising travellers and traders who have pen.
e,ra,ed TO the Rocky Mountains, where tho
animal is found, as the Big Horn. Though
the pelage Of the Argali approxima,es but lit
lie TO the wool of the domestic sheep, they
are, as 10 we'll known, considered by natural
lists as having belonged originally to the same
species; and the changes which have taken
placed in the form, covering, and habits Of the
latter, are attributed to his domestication, and
the care and skill of man during long suces-
sion Of years.
The common sheep of the United States
were Of foreign and mostly Of English origin.
The writer Of the Volume on Sheep, In the
"Farmers' Series" (Mr. Youati,) speaks. Of
them as "al,hough somewhat differing in vaTi-
Gus districts, consisting chiefly Of coarse
kind chichester, originally Of British breed."t
Others have seen or fancied they saw in some
Of them. strong resemblance 70 the South
T Downs. Mr.. Livingston was ofthis number
But il Is far more probable that they can claim
common descent from no one stock. Our
ancestors emigratsd from different sections Of
the British dominons, and some portion Of
them from other parts of Europe. They bro't.
their implements of husbandfy, and their do
mestic animals, 10 fertilize The wilderness.
Each, il would be natural TO suppose, made
choice of the favorile breed Of his own imme.
date district, to transport to the New World,
and the admixture Of these various races form
ed the mongrel family now under consideration.
Amid the peris Of war and the incursions Of
beasts Of prey, they were preserved with sed-
ulous care. AZ early as 1916, Mr.. Edward
Randolph, in a !" Narrative Of tho Lords of tho
Privy Seal" spsaks Of New England as "a
bounding with sleeps
The common sheep yielded wool only suit.
ed to the coarsest fabrics, averaging in the
hands Of good farmers. from 3 10 l-2 lbs. Of
wool TO the fleece. They were slow 10 aui-
wing at maturity, compared with the improved
English breeds, and yielded, when fully grown.
from 10 TO l2 lbs. Of midding quality of
mutton to the quarter. They were usually
long legged, light in the fore quarter, and mar
row on the breast and back, although rare n-
stances might BIO found ofAocks with the short
legs and some approximation 10 the general
form Of the improved breeds. The common
sheep were excellent breeders, often yielding,
almost entirely destitute Of care, and without
shelter, one hundred per cent. of lambs, and in
small focks still larger proportion. These.
too. were dropped 10 March or the early par,
of April. Restless in their disposition, their
impotence Of restraint almost equalled that Of
the un,amed Argal, from which they were
descended: and 10 many sections Of our coun-
try 1t was common 10 see from 20 TO SO Of them
rowing with little regard to enclosures, over
the possession Of their owner and his neigh
bors, leaving largo portion Of their wool adj
herring 10 bushes and thofns, and tho remain
der placed nearly beyond tho possibility Of
carding by the "7ory bur-" 80 common on
new lands.
The old common stock Of sheep, as dis
tinct family, have nearly disappeared, having
been universally crossed, to greater or less
extent, with the foreign breeds Of later intro.
duciion. The first and second cross with the
Merino, resulted 10 decided improvement.
and produced variety exceedingly valuable
for the farmer who rears wool only for domes-
tie purposes. The fesces are Of uneven fine.
ness. being hairy on the thighs. dewlsp, &C.;
but the general quality is much improved; the
quantity is considerably augmented: the car.
case is more compact and nearer the ground;
and they have lost their unqeie, and rowing
propensi.ies. The cross with the Saxon, for
reasons which we shall hereafter sllude TO,
has not been generally so successful. With
the Leicester and Downs, the improvement.
so far ss form, size, and propensity 10 take
oG fat are concerned, 10 manifest.
TO be continued
sLiyingsisa's Essay on Sheep, pages sc. CO.