jine-woolled Spanish Sheep* 191 



The prime wool was purchased by John Maitiand, esq. 

 member of parliament for Chippenham, whose mercantile 

 house, established for more than a century, has always dealt 

 largely in the importation of Spanish wool, and who, from 

 the first introduction of Merino sheep into this country by 

 the king in the year 1787, has uniformly given the most 

 liberal and zealous aid to the promotion of his majesty's pa- 

 triotic views, though doubtful in the. beginning of the ulti- 

 mate success of the project. 



It was made into cloth by Mr. Ed ridge, a manufacturer 

 of Chippenham, whose skill and respectability in his line 

 are exceeded by no man. He inspected its quality with the 

 most minute exactness, and with an eye more inclined to ex- 

 pect symptoms of degeneration than of improvement, du- 

 ring the whole of the numerous processes to which wool is 

 subjected in the making of broad-cloth, and he found that 

 in every one of them it answered to his complete satisfaction. 



The cloth made from this wool proved so excellent in its 

 kind, that the king was graciously pleased, at the desire of 

 Mr. Maitiand and Mr. Edridge, to permit these gentlemen 

 to explain, in his majesty's presence, its qualities and pecu- 

 liarities. 



Samples of this cloth may now be seen in Mr. Maitland's 

 warehouse in Basinghall-street; and it will be found, in 

 conversing with Mr. Maitiand and his partners, that in their 

 opinion the Pi's of his majesty's wool, considered as a pile, 

 are inferior to but few of the best of those imported from 

 Spain, though it is probable that no pile in Spain throws out 

 so small a proportion of F's and T's. From this opinion 

 it may fairly be deduced, that his majesty's wool has im- 

 proved since the sheep were imported from Spain; indeed 

 there is every reason to believe that it is still improving, and 

 will in a very few years equal, if not excel, the very best piles 

 that have hitherto been imported into this kingdom. 



Mr. Toilet, a gentleman of Gloucestershire, who has 

 purchased Merino sheep both from the king and from lord 

 Somerville, has been very successful in improving the car- 

 case without damaging the wool ; he possesses a ram, bred 

 from a ram and an ewe both purchased from the royal flock 

 in 1801, which, when clipped in June last, yielded 11 lbs. 

 13 oz. of unwashed wool. The carcase of this sheep was 

 then estimated by good judges at 16 lbs. a quarter, and it 

 was admitted to be a handsome sheep. 



For this animal Mr. Toilet has refused an offer of 200 

 guineas, or of 100 for the next season's use of him ; he also 

 refused 30 guineas each for the sire and the dam, though 



old 



