Merino Sheep Industut 205 



coarser, and with an open fleece, much like the native Mex- 

 ican of the present." 



The Tarentine are considered to be the foundation of the 

 Merino race, bred larger and to the white type, and the 

 occasional occurrence of a red ear or red spots or red legs 

 in the best of our flocks at the present day, would be some- 

 what corroborative. 



In the eighth century the Moors conquered a portion of 

 Spain, and " found it fruitful in corn and pleasant fruit, and 

 glutted with sheep.'' This warlike and enterprising race 

 were distinguished for their luxurious habits, and a fine and 

 expensive wardrobe. 



In tlie thirteenth century Spain became renowned for her 

 woolen manufactures, Seville alone containing not less than 

 sixteen thousand looms. Woolen manufacture became a 

 source of great wealth, and sheep culture was exalted to the 

 highest position of the land. 



The Merinos of Spain were of tw'o classes: the Estoutes, 

 or stationary, and the Trous hu mantes or migratory. 

 These latter were superior, probably from the weeding out 

 process the Spanish shepherds had adopted from the Ro- 

 mans, as tliey did also their custom of keeping the sheep 

 always in equable climate, and of subjecting them to a 

 sweating process before sliearing, to soften the crust formed 

 on the end of the wool, and to make the whole fleece soft 

 and pliable. 



The practice of killing all lambs not possessing the proper 

 characteristics, the ratio of which was probably not less than 

 ■fifty per cent, the remainder having the benefit of two moth- 

 ers, and the long journey of four hundred miles taken twice 



