Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-04-03

and oil to maintain density and weight
of fleece he showed us a plain eve
with as fine, long Delaine fleece as we
have seen in a long time, and he de-
clared that even with the greatest care
in breeding the tendency is always to
revert to the palmer type.
His market for these sheep j. the eX
port trade and the best American
flocks, principally in Ohio and West
Virginia. In late years he has made
annual shipment to South America,
principally Uruguay, and to South At
RIGA. He sends these animals by eX
press, without an attendant, they are
six weeks to two months on the voyage,
and he has yet to lose one on the way.
Surely it must be hardy animal which
can endure such shipment and care.
His prices for these sheep amount to as
much, and often more, per head than an
average farmer obtains for a choice
cow or good horse.
1t may also be interesting to learn
that he was the first American to land
Vermont Merinos in Australia and sue
cessfully dispose of them to Antipodean
breeders, while he later acted as Ameri-
can agent for the Australian sheep
king, Samuel McCaughey, in securing
what was probably the largest single
consignment of Amercan-bred live
stock for export. He has also since
made numerous shipments to Australia
Near to Mr.. Bissell, close to the
banks of Lake Champlain, lives the
man who was first to take American
live stock to South Africa more than
twenty years ago. He was also one of
the pioneers in the Argentine. Now
he is content to pass his days breeding
a choice flock of wrinkly Merinos. An
interesting story was the relation of his
experiences in Buenos Ayres in in
PRODUCING Merino sheep and showing
the speed of American trotters in the
days before the revolutions. A little
later, in 1891, he learned there were
millions Ct sheep in South Africa, but
no Merinos. Forthwith his sagaclsy
and enterprise impelled him to make a
shipment there. His narrative of how
: he.landed at Cape Town a stranger in a
faraway land, with a shipment of
Merino rams, of his metho Is of arousing
the interest of Cecil Rhodes and the
Cape Parliament and showing them the
Importance of American sheep to their
country demonstrated his willingness
to take a chance, and especially his
ability as salesman. On later trip
to that dark continent he took more
Merinos and Holstens far into the
interior, and at Johannesburg sold Paul
Kruger Holstein-F riesian bull but day
or two before the jameson raid. Vivid
are his descriptions of these men and
places which wrote deep on the pages
Of the worlds history in the closing
years of the last century. 1t was a
Mefino ram that took these shrewd
daring yankees to the farthest parts OF
the globe and displayed the skill OF
American breeders.
There are other men here who have
, done things. We met and visited al
} oldtime friend who has been the fnan
: cial hacker of nearly every shipment
of Mernos that has gone for export
He has bought sheep in every part OF
! the United States and sent them acros!
: the waters. A man now past the
: allotted three score and ten, he is still
seeking new markets in distant lands
for he confded that the first shipmen
to any new country has always been the
most profitable. Only this last year h,
sent shipment far into the interior O.
South America, near the southwes
boundary of Brazil. There his shipmen
found sole competition in that of ont
from Australia in the hands of an ole
, time native Vermonter whom he ha(
introduced years ago to the risks anC
ventures of carrying live stock owe
5 seas. The Michigan Farmer.
l Washtenaw Co. Roscoe WoOD.