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28 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, 1876. The statistician of the Agricultural Department, Mr. Dodge, whom the writer has consulted, and who has made a special study of the subject, estimates the number of the sheep in the United States, in 1876, at not less than 36,000,000, producing, with the additional fleeces of those slaughtered within the past year, 155,000,000 pounds. I he sheep of the United States consist, 1st, of what are called the native sheep, which are descendants of the unimproved coarse-wooled English sheep, first introduced. It is not known to what particular type of the English races they originally belonged, although it is known from tradition that certain of the common sheep were held in particular esteem for producing long worsted wools, which were hand- combed and spun in the families of New England for making yarns for worsted stockings. These sheep furnished the stock upon which the Merinos were engrafted. 2d. Descendants from the more recent English races, principally brought immediately from Canada 3d The Mexican sheep found in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and California, a coarse and sparsely-wooled sheep of Spanish descent, undoubtedly the race known as Charro. 4th. The Merino sheep and other grades. The latter constitute the principal and characteristic sheep of the United States. Six Merinos were introduced to the United States by different persons between 1793 and 1802. In the last-named year Mr. Livingston, the American Minister in France, sent home two pairs of Merinos obtained from the French Govern ment flock. Later, in 1802, Colonel Humphreys, the American Min ister in Spain, on his return from his embassy, shipped a flock to the United States, of which twenty-one rams and seventy ewes reached his farm in Connecticut. It is not known whether the Merinos imported prior to these left any descendants, although it is known that the Me rinos proceeding from the import of Mr. Livingston sold for enor mous prices. The next, and by far the most important acquisition, was secured in 1809-10, through the energy and fortunate position of Mr. William Jarvis, American Consul at Lisbon, in Portugal. In conse quence of the invasion of Spain by the French, and the subsequent confiscation and sale by the Junta from celebrated flocks of Merino sheep, Mr. Jarvis was enabled to purchase a large number,—about 3500, which he sent to this country and sold, except a few hundred, which he placed on his own farm in Wethersfield, Vermont, where they or their descendants have remained ever since. Four of these sheep were presented to Mr. Jefferson, at Monticello, who thus responded: "The four Merinos are now safe with me here, and good preparations are made for their increase the ensuing year. Pursuing the spirit of the liberal donor, I consider them deposited with me for