Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-06-19
ADDISON COUNTY SHEEP & HORSES
AGAINST THE UNION.

AGAINST THE UNION.
SIR Not long since received polite
note from our friend A. L. Bingham Of
Cornwall, to be present at the sheep shear
ing by himself aud his brother Merrill /
Bingham, and examine their sheep and see
with my eyes the ileeces which were taken .
from them. | very gladly accepted the in
ytation and give below some facts which [
may be relied upon as correct, and which | .
believe will be of interest to all ysur readers
aud to the farmers of the United States.
Messrs A. l.. Bingham aud Merrill Bing-
ham have a large stock of the French Me- {
rino Sheep which are known as the Tainlor
Sheep. This breed of sheep were first
imported by John A. Taintor of Hartford,
Connecticut, in the year 1916, from the /
flock of Messrs. Gilbert aud Creynou, of
France. They were originally pure Span
ish Sheep and were brought from Spain in
the year l7S6, by man by the name of
Gilbert, then Superintendent of the Govern
ment flock at or near Rambouilet, about
Is miles from Paris. Although small
when brought from Spain, they have been
bred with so much care that they have
regularly improved until they have attained
great size and weight of fleece Their
wool is long, fine, even, and very compact
on the body, aud they are wooded from the
tip of the nose 20 the hoof They exhibit
great strength of constitution and spright-
illness of appearance, and seem not to be
affected ia the least by the rigors Of the eli
mate Sufficient time has elapsed since
they we're first introduced among US to prove
thoroughly the decided improvement which
can be made by crossing them with the old
Spanish merIno breed, increasing greatly
their size and weight of fleece The con
sumption of food by them is not in propor-
ton to their size, when compared with the
old Spanish merino sheep.
On my arrival at A. L. Bngham's house,
/ found a large number of the farmers and
/ woo-growers Of the surrounding country
! there, to see for themselves, whether the
accounts given of the BINGHAM SHEEP were
correct. Mr.. Bingham's house is small,
old fashioned house, which, from its ap-
pearauce, does not give much promise of
great prosperity IN lis possessor, standing
on the western slope of a heavy swell of
I land, running through the town of Corn
wall North and South. But when YOU
come To look at the extensive, well cultiva-
ted farm around it, aud see some half a
dozen barns, surrounded by sheds and sheep
cotes, all fitted up ia the best OF order and
arrangement, and all filled aud surrounded
with tile most magnificent hocks of sheep
that eyes ever rested on, you begin to think
the appearance of the old house of little con-
sequence
Before proceeding to give the facts in
relation TO the sheep, | cannot refrain from
mentioning some other things | saw at Mr..
: A. l.. Bngham's, particularly span OF
black mares and a shoTt-honed Durham
Cow and Calf The Cow WAS one of the
largest size, having all the peculiar marks
of that noble breed of animals Mr.. Bing-
ham purchased her last fall at the New
York State FAIR a. Albany, OF Isaac Shell
don, Cayugs County, n. Y. She is six
years old, ana is of the stock Of the celebra-
: ted Bull Old Spleador The calf by her
side was seven weeks old. aad weighed $40
e pounds. and was sired by the Duke OF
Cambridge, imported by Col Sherwood Of
= Cayuga County, n. Y The mares were
= bred by John Sarben of Virginia Their
sire is Bertrand Grand Sire, Old Br-
trand, imported from England. Their dam
is ForazeH, Grand Dam, OH FlOrazeH, q
e am not sure | spell these names Alright, al
so imported. They are sisters from the
/ same dam and sire, one five years old and
r the other SIX Their Grand Sire and Grand
/ Dam are said never to have been beaten OF
, a race course of Two miles and repeat
a The one named JENNY LIND weighs l0ld
# pounds, and the other named FLoRAzELL
f weighs 1923 pounds. They are 10 hands
n high. For perfection of form, ease, ele
II gance and ygor of movement, and othe
Y qualities which would attract at once the
notice of a connoIsseur in such matters, bu
n which, being not one myself, | cannot mi
e nutely aud appropriately describe, the
IS cannot easily be surpassed. ! noticed ais
II fine geldng colt, four years old, sired b
the Morse horse which troted against 8lacl
e Hawk at the State FAIR held at Saratog
d Springs, n. Y. year before last.
d But to return to the sheep, Mr.. A. l.
d Bingham's flock of French Merno shee
=, consists of 93 breeding ewes, % yearlin
5 bucks, and l05 ewes aud buck lambs, bein
IS from to ) months old, aud weighing fror
n IS 10 l40 pounds, according TO their age
One three year old buck recently imported
- weighs 239 pounds, aud sheared, with onl
is ten months growth of wool, 81 aud l.
pounds of wool. Also one two year ol
" buck not shorn, weighing 2l7 and IL lb
A. Fer this last mentioned buck Mr.. Binghar
n has been offered $4,000 by different men-
The following is a statement of the weigf
is of the sheep and of their fleeces, as sheare
g the Goth Of May.
- Eve No. l22 lbs. 10 lbs. = OF
Ia " 40 l57 II g