210 State Board of Agriculture, &c. 



countries has not been reached without mistakes, trials and 

 struggles. 



Flbischnian divides the history of Merinos in Prussian 

 Silesia into five periods. From 1785 to 1805 was the intro- 

 ductory period, " when the wool growers were ignorant in 

 the knowledge of wool and management of Merinos." 

 From 1805 to 1815 was the period "when the dift'erence 

 between Merino and common wool began to be understood, 

 and the wool growers travelled for information and brought 

 Merinos from Saxony," From 1815 to 1825 was the third 

 stage. " The great desire was for extreme fineness ; tliey 

 overlooked many other valuable qualities, as size, shape and 

 constitution of the animals. With the highest degree of 

 fineness great softness was required. The Saxon breed, 

 Electorals, combined these qualities ; they were employed in 

 crossing,* consequently the finest Silesians consisted of thin 

 fleeced, delicate animals which, besides a deticiency in wool, 

 ■were liable to all sorts of diseases. 



"The period from 1825 to 1830 may be called the test for 

 German wool growers, and ])articvdarly for the Silesiau. 

 In that period the price of wool sunk so low (it appeared 

 as if England liad taken leave forever of the German mar- 

 ket,) that many were affrighted and began to diminish their 

 flocks, and change their wdiole system of farming. It ])ro- 

 duced a crisis, and their attention was principally directed 

 to an increase of wool in the fleece, to compensate for the 

 loss sustained in the prices. This crisis (operated very bene- 

 ficially ui>on the whole system of breeding Merinos ; the 

 wool growers, instead of aiming at the highest degree of 

 fineness, have now a greater quantity of wool in view. 



