The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-03-25
ANIMALS OF BLUEST BLOOD,
The Aristocracy Of Meriue. tia
Enrlches the sheep Blood Of the Weird.

AS ~ htsbtOcTncY o. AcTuuOa toav
Enr'ches the sheep Biosd OF the wsrid.
1.-THE largest and richest live stock organ
fzation In this country to-day is the Vermont
Sheep Breeders Association" said A. b. Spen-
Ger Of Washington county, Pa. o county that
grows moro wool annually than any other sin
gle district in the Union. The Vermont Asso-
citation has now over 1000 members. and at
least twenty-five States are represented In 1t
by wealthy sheep breeders. The attention OF
the association IL directed entirely to the In
forests OF the most aristocratic and blue
blooded Of all domestic animals. the merino
sheep. The raising OF this long pedigreed anil
NAL In tho United States began among the
Green Mountains OF Vermont nearly 100 years
ago. and nowhere else in the world-not even
among the hills OF Spain. the original home OF
the msrino-is this valuable animal found in
such perfection and purity OF brseding.
1t has to be q horse or a COW or y bull OF the
the best stock and record that will command a
higher price than q pure-blooded ram Of fault
less pedigree. The merinos OF Vermont trace
their ancestry back to the sunny hills of Spain,
and 5000 for an Addison county ram is no in
frequent price. A flock OF m~erinos, taken as
they stood in the pasture. snd only thirty in the
nock. was sold last season In that county for
$4,000. The first merlno sheep that ever left
the shores OF Spain Tor the United States. or for
any other foreign port. came from there to
Boston, In 1896. For hundreds OF years the
Spanish Government lad prohibited the expor-
mountains. and did not intond to SHARE lis ben.
thus the sheep had renamed confined to those
mountains s,i1I f. the the eny Tzo Ct the world: The law
Porter OF Massachusetts Was in Spain in That
three msrines. which he brought safely home.
these three valuable sheep. the first to leave
their native hills. and TO obtain which many
pdcesn ieli into I tHs pos nsss Rat 81 a q %sa W Sb9
slaughtered them. and sold their mutton at
drew ccrsieie Of cambridge. He knew new W what the he
had h,asdl,Gdno done IN n, after years; when, to obtain a
lin 1902. Col. David Humphreys was United
States Minister to Spain. He was extremely
~relinquished his ofice and returned home. The
spanish s|g Us ao I9ver I'm a. rendered bin a valuable
said there was something he would highly
prize. He was asked to name It. He replied:
,Une nun hundred msrino sheen The request was
being granted. The G%ovsrnmsnt cot I Over o. the he
difficulty In some way. and the hundred sheep
tho ex-Minister In Boston. Seventy .uHt Of iA ihsm
survived tho passage. and from that original
sapea; a, wf bseby we Gonp PLACED fSs u On the humphrsys
Of Vermont merinos sprang. '
"Bp there Is an aristocracy, even. among
knoyn A. the Atw9ods 2 . breed peculiar to
itssiL They hold their heads above the most
because they are re- 9 81 any yf seatsr bi %od,p Suii Bot bot
cause they are Atwoods and not6ins else.
STEPHEN Atwood. 4 Connecticut YANKEE. WAS
in 1918. and having no capital he agreed to
HrIrf, one year In payment for one eve OF the
t Srctt was hfI1mHihnreys importation. The con-
ATWOOD merInos trace their origin. The purity
o. the blood has always been maintained, and
connty. Vermont. in i Tsic an aI association datG af fsa%n
as the Atwood Association was formed, which
family SU Of Gn @srino sui In 'h i,s D D5rssrva Tpn Of this
mained IN the ownership OF desosndaSts Of
e ehsssssp b. A II : 1o %n,il Isl: when I! was ppr.
OF the dock may be had when you know that q
a. hshiiiEtsrest In one Of the rams brought $4,000.
iasaas: -. IL i n x.wo ss3:t .ss s.ii hn sae Il h. yffiSs:
stock Of the Vermont nsrinos.
world II'd ASy. msriso sheer are owned ~ over the
sSssn Iai DaS even from that garden spot Of
Addison county. Vermont 10 o S5ssdsr m. S3ms t Z,
the old Green, Mountain breeding when.ysr
e ensy want hrs. To- improve thsIF looks. Addison
sysrsso $1,000 ) year. 'S Si1 Oeur ,as s% xaai S,il
Green Mountain. state own and raise merinos
o. the purest aud best bleod.
ali Iho ioSk at merino sheep. unless you know
~ .ns points q one. you would scarcely think
~ Was wortn drivtnk to pasture. Greasy, dirty,
ana anconth. bis fleece. klscEsnsd BY an oosy'
Nv Eumny supstAnce that In not fragrant, hang
M VII Y, his eyes barely visible. and nothing
D " m ms nose shoWinS free from the greasy.
= siSh ~ e. cause much enthusiasm In y sDecta-
hiaeksr and GUNNER and more rhinocsros-
so9 nis aSses looks the better, breeders think
~ mucn y that dirty gum on their merinos that
they carefully shelter them from showers and
S sIn nsssS osw ts prsysnt Q particle Of It from
snis Diooa 10 born Its sArs are pierced. and sill
name of the owner, are attaeSsd. Ths nnmbse
S varm name are reEistsred In the books OF the
the lamp Is sold or transferred the owner must
no.iiy Inc association; and the transaction is
carefully noted Ia the books. so that the entire
q that lamb from IT'S birth to It's
essIa are alTsys tAoyn; No shesp has any
nod wear tAS earring and bss no ssrincsto Of