245 Some Circumstances relative to Merino Sheep. 



glish and French agree that all the prima piles are nearly 

 equal in fineness of fibre, and consequently in value to the 

 manufacturer. 



Escurial, called by us Patrimonio. 



Guadalupe. 



Paiilar. 



Jnfantado. 



Montareo. 



Negrete, &c. 



The Danes, he tells us, procured their sheep from the hest 

 piles ; but there is no appearance of their having, since they 

 obtained them, kept the flocks separate, nor are they at 

 present so remarkable for fine wool as the Saxons, whose 

 wool is now at least as fine as that of Spain is, upon an 

 average of prima and second rate piles. 



The Swedes were the first people who imported the Spa- 

 nish breed. This good work was undertaken and completed 

 by the patriotic exertions of a merchant of the name of A1-. 

 stroemer, in the year 1723. The next who obtained an im- 

 portation of Merino sheep were the Saxons, who are in- 

 debted for the benefits they enjoy from the improvement of 

 their wools to the prince Xavier, administrator of the elec- 

 torate during the minority of the elector, and brother-in-law 

 to the king of Spain. The prince obtained a flock of these 

 valuable animals in 17C6, and in 1778 an addition to it of 

 100 rams and 200 ewes. The Danes followed his useful ex- 

 ample, as also did both Prussia and Austria. Every one of 

 these countries continue at this moment to profit largely by 

 the improvement these sheep have occasioned in their agri- 

 cultural concerns. So far from truth is the too common as- 

 sertion, that their wool will not continue fine in any country 

 but Spain, that in the year 1806, when the ports of Spain 

 were closed against us, a very large quantity of fine wool, 

 the produce of German Merino sheep, was imported into 

 this country from Hamburgh, and used by our manufac- 

 turers as a substitute for Spanish wool. In truth, some of 

 this wool was so fine that it carried in the British market as 

 high a price as the best Spanish piles were sold for, in times 

 of peace and amity. 



[To be continued.] 



XLIT. On 



