jj^jj^ Ohfer-vatlons en Scuth-doivn Sheep, Nov. 



Tifl: ; who, by the by, has fucceeded in the culture of carrots ; 

 and whom I invite, if he fhould fee this, to communicate to you 

 a detailed account of that branch of hufbandry ; and likewife of 

 liis other numerous experiments in agriculture and horticulture. 

 He cannot miftake in this allufion. 



A very ccnfiderable improvement has lately been adopted in 

 this neighbourhood, in the conltrudion of wind-mill fails \ but 

 which I cannot properly defcribe, being no mechanic, and there- 

 fore, not having given them that attentive examination which 

 they certainly merit. The fails are compofcd of a number r f 

 narrow webs of canvafs, mounted upon rollers, and placed tranf- 

 verfe to the arms. Each arm is furnilheci with an iron rod, and 

 fome fmall toothed iron wheels, fo adjulied, that in Itrong winds 

 the feriesof fmall fails roll up, or furl, as it were, of tliemftlves ; 

 and, upon the fubfidence of the wind, roll out, or unfurl again ; 

 thus preferving a very confiderablc degree of equability of mo- 

 tion, and confequently of power ; and preventing in great 

 meafure, if not entirely, all danger of theviind-mii running 

 amain. 



A mofl fpirited and intelligent country gentleman, in my 

 neighbourhood, has lately purchafed a fmall liock of South-down 

 ewes and rams, meaning to give them a trial. Though I do not 

 pretend to be a competent judge of fuch iheep, I muft prefume 

 to fav> they by no means promife to be an acquifition to this 

 corner of the country. I'heir wool, indeed, feen^s remark- 

 ably fine, even confiderably fuperior to that of the Cheviot 

 or Icng breed ^ but their carcafes are, to all appearance, extremely 

 inferior, even to the common run of our improved fisrt Iheep, 

 or new Leiceller. Their legs are long and coarfe *, their carcafes 

 Joofe, thin and lank before ; their backs long and hollow ; their 

 heads lari;e ; their faces and legs, black, dun, or mottled ; and I 

 fufpe£^. they will turn out very troublefome gueils in an enclof* 

 ed country, I mean as fence-breakers, and very little inferior in 

 v/ildnefs and agility to the Lammermuir or Tweeddale breed. 



It is, however, certainly of moft material im.portance, that more 

 than one breed of fheep, efpecially in reference to wool, fliould 

 be carefully improved in all poflible refpeds, and adapted with 

 judgment, and Dy means of experience, to varicus foils and fitua- 

 tions. I doubt, if, at prefent, there is any breed in the ifland 

 to be compared, for profit to the farmer, on good foils, with 

 abundance of winter food, to the new Leicefter (lieep : but as 

 their wool is only fit for certain purpofes, were they to be- 

 come univerfal, or even too general, it would become a drug, 

 and wool for finer fairies vaftly too fcarce and dear. On thefe 

 rrinclples, I imagine, that the Scuih-down breed of flieep, by 



proi-^er 



