The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-10-23
VERMONT MERlN0S
HAVE WORLD FAME
pampered Sheep Raised As Breeding
Stock Tended Like Race Horses.

lpfhftiNAiil Nhftiancu fFhth NttW"ntf W
hnest breeding stock in che world
found In the state
Il Is a unique industry raising shee
neither for aeete nor flesh. but 70 pro
vide breeding stock for the nockmasteF
Of other states and other countries.
Vermont soil and climate On the ga
pahility Of Vermont breeders or all tire
have preserved the pre.eminenee Of Oh
Vermont stock and the breeders have al
active organization 70 maintain Il.
These choice sheep are pampcred AMI
mails. They are not allowed TO run loos
IN the barnyard like ordinary sheep am
take their coarse fodder from common
rack They are carefully stabbed, fed
blanketed and watched and tended a
carefully a. a $1,000 race horse.
A good buck u worth more than mos
horses, and in the palmy days Of thl
sheep industry Edwin Hammond % thlI
town refused $4,000 for his iamou
ram Gold Drop. N. T. Shackett OF Wal
than was offered 81 600 IN 1885 for I
ram that sheared 30ia pounds Of WOO
AZ one shoaring. which was at the rat'
Of sd2.6S pound, live weight, aftel
shcaring.
The early home and present center Of
Mcrino sheep breeding in this country ]
In Addison county. aud the choicest
known specimens Of this stock are found
10 the towns in this vicinity.
No domestic animal has a longer lin
eage than the Merino sheep. II i n de-
scondant OF the fine wooled sheep de.
scribcd by Roman writer's before the
dawn Of Christian civilization. II wai
found in northern Spain, when that
country was conquered by the Saracon
and il may have been the fleece Of an
early Mcrin0 that tempted Jason into
the expedition Of the Argonauts. These
sheen were carefully bred In Spain az
the time when We first have knowlcdge
Of them, and one family, the Transhu-
NANTES, was owned only by kings and
mobiles.
Brought 10 Vermont carly in the last
century, they have been 40 developed
a. TO BE- now almost a distinct species.
The fiockmasters OF Ohio come 90 YER
mont for their best stock. Australia
has drawn on Vermont for 20 years.
South African breeders owe much TO
Addison county breeders and South
American markets are now opening TO
the small but carefully tended aocks Of
Vermont breeders.
r. T.. Wissell Of this town has sold
flock Of "a choice specimens, including
a prize.winning buck. 10 an Ohio breeder
this season, Sir Samuel McCanghy, the
Acknowledged sheep king OF the world,
samo TO American IN 1855 and purchased
choice selection Of Merinos 70 improve
his Australian hocks. He was 30 pleased
that he bought another shipment next
year. Other Australian sheep men dis
covered the advantage OF the Vermont
stock and bought freely paying large
prices. Though the Australian sheep
produce some fine and heavy heeces, the
climate has a bad effect on the stock.
Il soon runs out" and Vermont stock
has 70 be imported 10 keep up the strain.
This has proved to be the case with
some Of the very finest stock ever raised
in this state.
South African sheep raisers have been
good customers, but the demand fell of
during the Boer war. The market has
now begun 20 improve, and Vermont
ralsers are hopeful Of an increased de-
mand.
+. n. Bssell OF East Shoreham is
president OF the breeders association,
and is one OF the best known agricultur
lists in the state. Gorham's Dudley, brcd
by him. is the winner OF Is first prizes
His first fleece weighed 23at pounds, the
second 3GA. and the third S9A each
OF the latter being more than the famous
Shackett ram. The weight Of this ami
NAL is 200 pounds
Charles Witherell OF Bridport Is a
well known exporter and has made sew
cral trips 10 South Africa With his stock.
Wright. Cartmell a Cook and F. S.
Spragiie are also prominent exporters.
There il possibility Of revival Of
sheep raising in Vermont. A New York
firm has bought nine adjoining farms
in Huntington and Starksboro for the
purpose OF establishing a sheep ranch.
ii win stock them with 600 sheep,
which viii be under the care Of Scotch
with trained dogs. This viii
keep them safe from the attacks of
ours, which at present constitute one Of
the drawbacks TO sheep raising in Yer
mont. But the Merino breeders have
confidence in the markets they have
steadily enjoyed, whether or not the in
iustry reyives in Vermont.
Thomas jefferson is credited with |
bringing the FIRST Spanish Alerinos to
Ibis country, but Col David Humphrey. |
minister to Spain in 1902. made the FIRST |
important shipment TO the United |
States.
Stephen Atwood Of Woodbury., CT, /
procured and carefully bred some Of the
stock, but to Edwin Ham.
nond Of Middlebury il given the credit /
II bringing that strain To perfection
William Jarvis al Brattloboro, when
'onsul at Lisbon, Portugal was able to
took, the Transhumanites from the
onflscated focks Of Spanish mobiles. Hel
ent about 5000 to this country Oil
hese over 5000 were sent to Vermont
d be pastnred and from these and the
nfantados stock brought BY Col, Hum
,hrey was developed the Merino sheep
Il today.
This was long before the days of ok
leriment stations, when little was 4
.nown at the science Of breeding, but
ne Vermont farmers Of those early days
we're able BY feeding care and selection
o develop the stock far beyond its orig
nal qualities. and in half century the
weight Of 1he MeEino fleece hadNbeen
from S TO IS pounds.
At the time these first importations
rere made, wool sold for 81 pound.
)uring the war Of 1912 il reached $3.50
pound, but afterward declined. AT
he time Of the Civil war and for some
ime afterward wool remained at a high
aura. and fabulous prices were paid
1r the finest stock. A thousand dollars
or single animal was not uncommon
he price mas dropped from the figures