Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-11


With the historical facts iu the above, we
have no iault to fud. We do, however, en-
ter our protest against any effort to rob the
memory of Edwin Hammond of the fullest
need of credit due to him for bis efforts and |
success in the improvement of the Spanish |
Merino sheep in the United States. A de-
scription of Mr. Atwoods flock, as late as
1910, found on page twenty-eight Of Ran
dall's I" Practical Shepherd says that g his
sheep we're not far from the size and form of
those of Mr.. Jarvis--though | think they
were inclined to be little fatter in the ribs,
and perhaps little deeper ehested. Their
wool was short, fne, even, well-crimped, bril-
liant, generally thick, aud very dark colored
generally for that day. 1855 The
wool was still shorter on the belly, and as
with the Jarvis sheep, did not very well COW
er the legs and head" Such were the gener.
al characteristics of the Atwood flock when
Mr.. Hammond began buying from it, 1874
and according to his own statement got an
average Of the flock"
In one case he bought the entire lot Of eve
lambs of year; in another, one-thrd of the
old ewes-Mr Atwood selecting the first and
third, Mr.. Hammond the second of each trio.
According to the testimony of DR.. Randall,
by perfect understanding Of his business
and by an exquisite management of the ma
terials thus obtained, Edwin Hammond, "ef-
fected quite asmarked an Improvement in the
American Merino, as Mr.. Bakewell effected
among the long-wooled sheep of England -
He converted the thin, light-boned, smallish
and imperfectly covered sheep above descrIb.
ed into large, round, strengthened sheep,
models of compaCtness, and not few of them
almost perfect models of beauty, for fne-
wooled sheep. In 1868, in the flock of Mr..
Hammond, were two ewes, one of which
yielded fleece of seventeen and half
pounds, and the other fourteen and half
pounds of unwashed wool The whole flock,
usually about 200 in NUMBER with the due
proportion Of young and old, and including
two per cent. of old rams, and no wethers,
yielded an average of ten pounds Of unwashed
wool per head"
Does the Lire Stock Journal wish to be
understood as saying in regard to this re-
markable increase in weight OF feece--fully
doubling in eighteen years, that Mr. H.
could claim 40 other credit for this than that
the animals were properly fed and sheltered
by him?" If SO, let it inform the sheep
breeders of the present day as to the man
ner of feeding required to produce results
one.half as remarkable, and it will have Sc.
cured more fame to itself than will attach to
any amount Of efforts to belittle the achieve.
ments of Edwin Hammond.
Again, the Lire Stock Journal says -
1t is claimed as one Of the great achieve
meuts of Hammond that the ram Wooster
sheared nineteen pounds of unwashed wool"
The ram Wooster was dropped in 1S49-five
years after his first purchase from Mr. At.
wood aud three years after his last purchase
In 1856 the ram Sweepstakes was dropped.
He was the great-great grandson Of Wooster.
Sweepstakes sheared twenty.seven pounds of
unwashed wool--though bred strictly within
the flock of Mr.. Hammond We consider
this one of the most remarkable achieve
ments in ovine improvement Of which histo-
| ! A.
to the indeiatigable aud clear.headed breed
er who attained it some other credit than
that the animals were properly fed and shell
tered by him" OF his achievements in his
flock, DR.. Randall says it has " all the time,
from its purchase to its foundation been in
creasing, not only in amount of wool, but in
size, bone, spread of rib, compactness, easi-
ness of keep-in short, in all those things
which indicate improved constitution" Yet,
for all this, the Lire Stock Journal holds
that Mr.. II. should claim no other credit
T than that the animals were properly fed and
sheltered by him."
Does the Lire Stock journal wish to be
understood as assuming that there is no road
to the improvement of the best breeds of
stock now before the country except by way
Of food and shelter? With sheep especial.
ly, has there been no return for careful study
of characteristics, and scientific efforts
at their correction or Improvement Are
we indebted to the feed trough and shingle
roof for the increase of fleece from eight
pounds of unwashed wool--the highest stand
ard of the Humphrey importation-to the
enormous proportions that are annually
quoted from all parts Of the Country2 The
very same article which we quote speaks Of
a eve that produced fleece with nine
pounds of secured wool-moro than the
heaviest shearing ram of the earliest importa-
tion produced unwashed. Have feed and
shelter alone done this ?
We have always advocated liberal feeding
high feeding some might call it--as the
files of the Western Rural will prove, and
are firmly of the opinion that the highest
standard of excellence cannot be attained
without it but we are not quite ready to fol.
low where the teachings of our cotempOrary
would seem to point,-that is, start with
good pure animals, and then let feed and
shelter do the rest If Bakewell and Ell
man aud Atwood and Hammond had adher-
ed to such a theory, the well.rounded Leices-
ters, the savory South Downs, and the thick
coated Merinos Of tS-day would have an ex-
istence only in the dreams of the aspiring
! though misguided sheep.man,- Western Ru-