208 State BoaRd of AGiiicui/rum:, &c. 



her M'ool fibre, secured by the skilled breeders of Merinos, 

 under the protection of a discriminating govei-nment believ- 

 ing in a ' rautualitj " of interest between wool growers and 

 woolen manufacturers." 



1 am not here for the purpose of promoting the interest 

 of French sheep in this country. Mens mene tekel uphar- 

 sin has been written on the w^all over against them iu time 

 past. I believe them to have excellencies, however, and a 

 modification of their (characteristics by experience and skill, 

 or, perhajis, a change in the Amej'ican system of keeping, 

 may serve to erase the verdict now standing against them. 



What France lost by delay Gei'many gained. In 1764 

 the Elector of Saxony obtained, by special negotiation, a 

 grant tor two thousand Merinos to be taken out ot Spain. 

 They were accompanied by Spanish shepherds to instruct 

 the SaxT)ns in their care and management. A commission 

 was appointed to supei'intend and direct the concerns of the 

 sheep establishment ; to spread all the information they 

 could obtain before the public; and, by every means in their 

 power, to induce the sheep owners of the country to improve 

 their ilocks, even to compelling the tenants of the govern- 

 ment domain to purchase y earl}' afew fine bred Merinos. At 

 first there was much prejudice, and improvement was slow ; 

 but " when the commissioners had exercised their functions 

 ten years, the call for young rams was so great that they 

 resolved to petition government to make another importa- 

 tion of ewes and rams from Spain." 



M'errell says : " The invaluable properties of pure Saxon 

 wool, and the consequent demand for its manufacture into 

 fabrics, the fineness of which the world has never before 



