288 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



THE SPANISH OR MERINO BREED OF 

 SHEEP. 



[communicated by lord WILLIAM LENNOX.] 



Preitidice fouhded on system, devoid of experience, is 

 tlie greatest and most insuperable bar to improvement in 

 ever}' art and science. It was through false impressions 

 thus imbibed, that although the finc-woolled sheep jof Spain 

 liad been long ago found to retain their valuable qualities 

 in countries still more unfavourable to them than Great 

 Britain ; such as Sweden, Denmark, Saxony, Prussia, and 

 Holland : yet it was not until seventy years ago that 

 George III., guided by his own good sense and the most 

 patriotic motives, gave orders for the importation of Merino 

 sheep, for the improvement of British wool. In 1791 his 

 Majesty received a small stock of four rams and thirty-six 

 ewes from the Negrette flock, and about ten years after 

 another importation of two thousand from the Paular flock, 

 deemed the best in Spain, of which only fourteen hundred 

 ewes and a hundred rams survived the voyage and the sea- 

 soning in this country'. Prejudice for awhile opposed the 

 improvement of fine-woolled sheep as an innovation. The 

 breeders fancied that the quality of the fleece depended on 

 the climate, soil, and pasturage of their native country, and 

 that the Spanish sheep would not thrive in our island, or 

 would decline, and only yield wool of an inferior quality ; 

 in fact, they maintained the erroneous opinion that the 

 British sheep sent to Spain would, by the same advantages, 

 become equal to those of the latter country ; and that the 

 Merinos imported to England would soon become similar 

 to our own breeds, even without any crossing or inter- 

 mixture. It required all the influence of the King, the late 

 Duke of Bedford, Lord Somerville, Dr. Parrv, Mr. Toilet, 

 and various others of the most enlightened gentlemen and 

 most scientific breeders, to combat this dangerous opposition ; 

 and it was only by proof the most in-efragable that it 

 began to decline ; and it is now admitted that Spanish 

 sheep, with nothing more than the common care administered 

 to our own flocks, will not only maintain their natural su- 

 periority, but will confer the same qualities to other breeds, 

 if due precaution is taken to preserve the strain in its 

 purity. The chief and only obstacle that remained, was 

 the article of expense to the small farmer or grazier. The 

 woolstaplers and the butchers also raised some objection to 

 the newly-naturalized animals ; but it having been ascer- 

 taioed that the wool of the Anglo-Merino is equal, if not 

 superior, to that imported from Spain, and that the flesh, 

 as an article of food, is also of a superior qualitj-, their 

 clamours have also subsided, and reason has taken the place 

 of unfounded declamation. 



The advantage of the Anglo-Merino strain being thus 

 acknowledged, the only thing that remained was to con- 

 sider the best method of bringing the improvement into 

 general practice. It had. been ascertained that not less 

 than four removes from a pure Merino would ensure all that 

 was required ; and the breeder therefore, having purchased 

 the best Merino ram, persevered in breeding in-and-in to 

 the fourth remove, when he found himself the possessor of 

 a pure breed, without anj' danger of retrograding, ]iroper 

 care being taken to prevent commixture with any less pure 

 strain. The result was most satisfactory, for from actual 

 experiments made by Dr. Parry the Merino-Ryeland carried 

 more than three times the value of wool on the same living 

 weight of carcase than its Ryeland ancestor did ; almost 

 four times as much as the Southdown and Lincoln, and 

 nearly five times and a-half as much as the New Leicester. 

 It appeared moreover, from Lord Somerville's trials on the 

 Ryeland and Merino-Ryeland breeds, that the value of the 

 wool on the latter is as five to two of the former— an 

 increase which more than compensated for any additional 

 expense or trouble. To those who arc interested upon the 

 subject of Spanish sheep, we recommend a perusal of a very 

 clever treatise by Monsieur Lasteyrie, an intelligent 

 Frenchman, which has been translated into ERglish. He 



defended the system, which brought George III. under 

 the lash of ridicule of Peter Pindar, viz., that of feeding 

 sheep on horse chestnuts. Monsieur Lasteyrie thus writes : 

 " In Saxony great care is taken to collect the horse chest- 

 nuts, which are regarded as a wholesome aliment, anda 

 specific against the rot. These are given to the sheep in 

 autumn, when the green food ceases. The chestnuts are 

 cut into pieces, which it would be dangerous to omit, as 

 they might otherwise stick in the throat of the animal, 

 and cause its death. Sheep, as well as cattle, refuse at first 

 to eat this food ; but, when accustomed to it, they seek it 

 with avidity, and even like to eat the prickly husk in 

 which the nut is enveloped." 



One of the first toasts at sheep-shearing feasts used 

 to be — 



" The glorious raemory of George the Third, 



. Who first to Britain Spanish sheep transferred." 



In the Consort of our Gracious Sovereign we haveone 

 who possesses the good sense, sound judgment, and patriotic 

 spirit of her royal grandfather, and who, as a practical 

 farmer, will exert his influence to improve the breed of 

 cattle, pigs, and sheep, by never rejecting without a trial 

 any rational hint ol improvement. 



ORDER UPON THE FARM. 



It has been very correctly said that order or method ia the 

 secret of success of many wealthy men of the mercantile clas?. 

 The above being true, the ru'e is equally applicable to the 

 farming classes. What we mean by order is, " a place for 

 everything, and everything in its place." By everything, we 

 mean all that a farmer uses in his business. A farmer should 

 see that e\ery rail and board about his premises is in its proper 

 place ; that his fences are ia condition to prevent the entrance 

 or exit of his own or other people's cattle without his cousent. 

 Every one who neglects this neglects his peace of mind, as 

 well as subjects himself to losses that must be repaired by 

 means that could have been otherwise profitably employed. 



I have known cultivators of the soil to succeed well ia 

 maturing crops, but by neglecting to keep their fences in order, 

 lose the most valuable part of their labours. But I am glad 

 to state that such cases are not frequent in these times. In 

 the next place, the farmer should not allow his cattle that are 

 used in the farm-work to be scattered indiscriminately over his 

 fields, as much time is lost in getting them to their places, and 

 as " time is money," it should be economised as much as pos- 

 sible. He should be careful to have his harness all in using 

 trim, his working cattle near his harness house : then but a few 

 minutes are required to prepare for his day's ploughing and 

 hauling. His implements, of every description, should be kept 

 near his dwelling, that no time be lost in repairing those things 

 that are out of order. Many persons will say that they cannot 

 find time to do all these things. Stop, dear reader ; I know 

 you can, because whenever you see a rail missing from your 

 fence, go and put it back immediately, for then is the right 

 time. In case the rail should be destroyed, appropriate the 

 first idle one you come to; if you should have no idle ones, 

 lose no time in procuring some ; for if you do not, nine chances 

 in ten you lose more by neglect than if you stop the plough 

 long enough ro make them. Whenever you have done using a 

 plough, hoe, rake, hay fork, thresher, reaper, or anything else, 

 take it immediately to the barn — make this an invariable rule, 

 and let all your men know it : the result will be, that when 

 anything is wanted, the person sent for it will know where to 

 find it. I woidd have every farmer have some of the most 

 necessary tools used in making and repairing his implements 

 of husbandry, for I know every one who is able to own a farm 

 is able to have such things. The rainy season, in which much 

 could be done in the way of making and repairing, is always 

 lost to most farmers, because they have not the implements of 

 manufacture. During such times he might put all his farming 

 utensils ia excellent working order ; whereas if it is neglected 

 until fair weather, he has scarcely had it done before another 

 rainy season overtakes him : thus, all fair weather, in which 

 he might have ploughed, passes in repairing. To conclude — 

 Farmers, preserve order in everything, and peace, prosperity, 

 and health will accompany yon through life. — Watchman and 

 Elector. 



