The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-03-03
MerIno sheep Of Vermont.

The old saying IL that Vermont 10 q
good state 10 be born In But / think
II good state to live In as well. Only
think for moment that we are living
In state that has the reputation OF
having and breeding the best horses
and best Merino sheep IN the world.
And did you eyer stop to think for
moment how much care and anxiety Il
has given our breeders to secure the
reputation of having the best? Go
back to tho frat Importation Of the
Spanish sheep from Spain and see what
light fleeced, bare faced, long legged,
bare bellied sheep we had to start
with; and the visits back to Spain,
their native cline, to compare notes,
and see what improvement we were
making, and purchase better ones II
they could there be found TO breed MP
our flocks. II has been long since any
sheep could be found In Spain that
would help In making Improvement In
the breeding of our fiocks. Mr.. L.
Hammond, Mr.. w. r. Remele, Mr..
Robinson, the Richs and Stickneys,
and many others have made the breed
lives. To what perfection Mr.. Ham,
mond bred them mp to before his
death is we'll known. Since his death
the Improvement has been very mark
ed with our best breeders. / have
been breeding the Atwood family of
sheep for the last twenty years, and
have visited a large number of the best
Atwood flocks In the state every few
years, and can lsee q very perceptIble
improvement within that time. The
Atwood sheep of the present day, are
larger and OF better form; In fact we
now have a thorough bred Merino
sheep, adapted to any climate In the
world, and many of them perfect mod
els of beauty. L have individual ewes
in my flock weighing from one hum
dred and twenty to one hundred and
thirty pounds, aud shearing from If
teen to twenty pounds of unwashed
wool. l think with the help our
sheep registers give MS the improve
ment will continue to be more marked
for long time.to comes and will give
breeders and buyer more confidence In
the future, az they will not be 90 likely
to be imposed upon. The demand for
thorough bred Merino sheep never was
80 good as now, aud It will be long
time before the breeders of this state
can breed enough to supply the increas.
ed demand for the best. The breeders
of our state have reason for pride In
the fact that by their long and untirinQ
perseverance, in the breeding Of Merino
sheep up to their present standard Of
excellency they have gained reputa-
ton that is world wide and o reputa-
ton that will be handed down genera
ton after generation, aud I think the
time not far distant when the breeders
of Spain, their native Cline, and other
foreign nations, will visit Vermont
with view to purchase orr best Meri.
no sheep in order to. gain back what
they have lost. never could see WHY
the general run Of sheep farmers take
so little pains In securing their stock
rams. know Of farmers that for the
past twenty years have made no im-
provement In their f1ocks; contented
with sheep shearing from four to four
and one-hslt pounds Of wool, when by
using q thoroughbred ram they might
have increased four fold. The money
paid out for pure bred male animals Of
all descriptions always pays, but espec-
ally 90 on stock sheep. But think the
farmers are waking up to the impor-
lance of breeding from Thoroughbred
sires. 1t has always paid me to breed
from the best sires without regard to
price. j. w. STEVENS,
East Corinth, vi. d rlfl saca I