The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-09

than to those Of any other one man
that the Vermont Merino was devel-
oped. He took advantage of an Of
fer of the Spanish junta to sell the
confiscated flocks of some Spanish
mobiles and shipped to this country
$3.50 sheep, 1860 of which were pas
tured on Vermont farms. This was
in 1S09-10 and for years the descend
ants of these Paulars, believed to be
the best bred animals in Spain, whit
ened the hillsides of his Weathersfield
pastures. Men now living recall the
time when hundreds of sheep were
pastured on his farm.
The farmers and breeders of those
days knew something of the science
of breeding, though there We're no ag-
ricultural colleges and experiment
stations to give them scientific in
struction. BY careful selection of
breeding stock, improved feeding and
attention to details they so improved
feeding and attention to details they
so improved the breed that the weight
of a fleece Increased from eight to
45 pounds.
Sheep breeding and wool raising
was profitable in those days, for in
1903 the price of wool was 81 a pound
and during the 1912 war it reached
at one time $3.50. Vermont breeders
continued to take great pains with
their stock and raising Merinos was
the principal industry on many YER
mont farm. Back in the fifties there
are said to have been more than a
| thousand Merino breeders in Rutland
and Addison counties, and the indus
TRY still flourishes there, though sheep
are not raised in so large numbers
as formerly.
The prices brought by some animals
of high quality were remarkable. Ed
win Hammond of Middlebury, who
developed the Atwood strain, sold
two ewes to Bottom and Benedict of
SALISBURY in 1863 for $1,000. and in
1885 refused $4,000 for his famous
Merino ram Gold Drop. NJ. 7. Shackett
of Waltham was offered $1,000 for a
ram that produced 80 1-2 pounds OF
wool at one shearing. The animal
weighed 1913 pounds, so the price NAM
ed was about enough to make him
worth his weight in gold. Such prices
lac no hui
are high enough so that Addison
county men can afford to breed and
raise high grade stock and ship it hal
way across the world.
For half a century the great WOO
producers of Australia have relied OF
Vermont for their breeding stock. The
climate of Australia is particularly
favorable to the development of 6
large and fine quality of wool. But
for some reason the stock deterior.
ates, especially the breeding stock o.
males, and the flocks must be con
tinually renewed from fresh importa
tons. Australia can produce the woo
but Vermont has to furnish the sheer
to grow it. Sir Samuel McCaughy
the acknowledged sheep king of the
world, bought selection of Merinos
over here in 1856 and continued
steadily adding Vermont stock to hi:
fiocks, and many of the largest WOO
growers of Australia have Dough
Merinos here regularly. South Afri
can growers have also been large pur
chasers of Vermont stock and the
next field for the Vermont breeders
to invade is South America.
! Though the Merino did not originate
here it's full development was brought
about in Vermont, so the modern Meri
no may properly be called distinct
lively Vermont product, and with the
growing scarcity and increasing cos
of beef animals many breeders look
for the time to arrive soon when sheer
raising will again be an important
industry in the State.