Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-04-21

Not long since, VIM, BRINE OF Spring
field, Frederick Snow OF Beckett, and
myself started for Vermont for sight
at the world renowned Spanish Merino
sheep. Mr.. Edwin Hammond Of Mid
dlebury was represented to us as stand
ing first in reputation accordingly we
drove to his residence in the evening and
solicited the privilege Of calling early in
the morning and examining his flock
We called about sunrise, thermometer
degrees below zero. We apologized for
calling so early, by saying that we
wished to take the cars that morning to
90 to Shelburn, to attend an auction
sale of 400 sheep, belonging to Ezra
Mech. Mr.. Hammond, very gentle
manly man, told us we need make no
apology, as there were already three
men in his yard examining sheep, and
that he had had from five to thirty Wis
itors daily to see his sheep, for the last
three months. One of the visitors told
us he called at some two O'Clock p. m.
one day, and being invited in to dinner
apologized to Mrs. Hammond for the
late hour, when she remarked she kept
her table spread from morning till night,
and had previously waited upon fourteen
to dinner that day. Mr.. Hammond has
about one hundred and forty sheep. He
commenced his flock OF pure Spanish
Merinos about 20 years ago, by pur-
chase from Mr.. Stephen Atwood of Wa
tertown, CT The sheep were of the
Humphrey importation of 1902. He has
bred in and in, never going out Of his
own flock for sire or dam. AS his flock
increases he sells the culls, and occa-
sionally a good one, but never the best.
At the time of the rage for French and
Silesian merinos, we understand Mr.,
Hammond tried each with view to test
the comparative merits of the three
breeds, keeping his stock of Spanish
pure at all times, and finally giving up
all for them, Mr.. Hammond sold six
culls in the fall for $500 each. Has been
offered $4,000 for an undivided half of
| his buck Sweepstakes Merrill Bing-
! ham of Cornwall told us he would give
Mr.. Hammond $4,000 for his buck Gold
Drop. Mr. Hammond sells his buck
lambs for from 500 to $1,000 each. Mr..
W. W. Jefferson of SALISBURY, VT, told
us he was authorized to pay Mr.. Ham
mond $l3, 900 for % eve lambs. Mr.. II.
had previously refused $40, 1900 for them,
and held them now at $4,000. He has
flock of so young breedingewes which
| will average about 100 pounds each,
from which he expects to show an av-
erage of IL pounds Of wool each, I'M
washed, at the next clip. Those ewes
are considered by many persons the best
| flock of so ewes in the world. Four
hundred dollars each would not buy the
poorest of them. Mr. Bottom above al
luded to paid Mr.. Hammond $1,000 for
two ewes last fall and those were not
the best and $500 would not secure
| the pick of one from that flock.
Taking the cars we reached Mr..
Meech's place at Shelburn, and found a
| collection of some fifty persons attend
| ing his sale of grade, Atwood and Ham,
mond sheep. Whether owing to the
very cold weather, the quality of the
sheep, or the auctioneer the sheep SEEM
ed to sell very slow. The grades sold in
pens of five to ten each, at some Sc or 81
each, with few bidders, when, becoming
discouraged, they adjourned to lot of
some IA old ewes, many of them tooth
less, varying in age from IA to Is years,
from Mr. Hammond's flock. ! give the
prices at which they were struck off /;
one $68, $106, SOL, S101, 800, &C., and
taking age and price we concluded we
had seen about enough of the elephant,
and would return home, but the cars be-
ing about three hours behind time, SO
that we must lose our connection at
Rutland, we. concluded to 60 back to
Middlebury, and the next day go out to
Cornwall and see more sheep. The re-
suit Of our observation the next day and
the day after was as follows. Mr. Hen
nv Hammond has 140 sheep, which /
suppose he thinks are about equal to
Mr.. Edw in Hammond's. Has been Of
fered $4,000 for one buck lamb. r. 7.
Sampson of Cornwall has A two year old
ewes for which he paid $50 each when
lambs price now for the four $1,000.
Mr. Merrill Bingham of Cornwall mas
% yearling ewes which he values at SO,
600. Mr.. Bingham has about 200 sheep;
values eve lambs at 800 each and buck
lambs at 5000, $500 and $500. E. s.
Stowell has about 100 very good sheep
values his buck lambs on an average at
800; one buck lamb at $1,000; ewes
lIOil TlUU W TI,uUU. t-f missile. Mctu q
Peet have about 100 sheep; 80 yearling
eyes which they value at 5000 EACH
Edgar Sanford sold last season 20 lambs
for $1,000 sold George w. Campbell 10
yearling ewes for $1,000. H. Dean sold
one buck lamb for $1,000. C. d. Lane
sold 80 sheep to one man for $4,000, sold
10 yearling ewes for $3.50, raised As
lambs two years ago and has sold them
all for an average of s74 cash. S. s.
Rockwell keeps 200 sheep, and sold one
buck lamb for 500. The flocks we saw
in Middlebury and Cornwall are all pure
Spanish merinos, mostly of the Atwood
family, although some of them are
mixed with the Rich and other Spanish
importations, and were valued nearly as
follows Atwood sheep improved by
Mr.. Hammond, first quality; Atwood
sheep, but not straight Hammond sheep,
second quality; mixture Of Atwood,
Rich and other importations, third quail
ity. One of the assessors Of Cornwall
told me the sheep of that town were
valued in town tax assessments-pure
bloods from SS5 to $50 per eve bucks
more according to value. We learned