64 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



press. Francis I. also did a great deal to foster and im- 

 prove the Merino race in his dominions, by adding some 

 choice specimens to his establishment at Holitz. In 

 1811, a ram from this stock fetched as much as 12,000 

 florins, or £120 ; but since the breed has been extended, 

 the price has fallen to the ordinary standard which ob- 

 tains for other races of the same animal. 



The principal object is the wool, which is of the very 

 first character. The carcase is not regarded as much as 

 it ought to be for the purposes of food. For six months 

 in the year mutton is rarely eaten in Austiia, which not 

 only deprives the working classes of a highly nutritious 

 aliment, but it is also injurious to agricultural advance- 

 ment. The prejudice against mutton has simply arisen 

 from the fact that the large breeders of sheep only 

 look to wool; consequently the animal has been syste- 

 matically kept until he is too old and tough to eat ; or 

 if it chance to find its way to the market, it is simply 

 from the fact of its having died in a diseased or unnatural 

 state. Hence few dream of eating mutton as we do, 

 but look upon it with a species of distrust ; beef is, 

 therefore, the principal viand throughout Austria. 



In 1801 the export of wool from Austria was 124,814 

 quintaux, or about 13,000,000 lbs. ; and in 1850, though 

 materially affected by the revolution of '49, it reached 

 .'i2,000,0001bs. The temporary check, however, given 

 to agriculture by the abolition of the robott, to which 

 we alluded in our preceding report, has caused a consi- 

 derable diminution in the number of sheep reared. Be- 

 fore '49, the ordimry estimate was 17,000,000 head, 

 calculating solely by the export of wool, and giving each 

 sheep lilb. ; but as a considerable portion of wool is 

 retained for home consumption, the number must be 

 much larger than that. 



Many of the large breeders are abandoning the plan of 

 growing sole'y the finest wool, as the sheep is not so 

 profitable as when a little coarser quality is grown. This 

 is effected by a cross. 



The native sheep of Hungary is much diminished 

 since, the introduction of the Merinos, but they are 

 greatly preferred by the peasant. This race mostly 

 abound in Transylvania and some portions of the Banat. 

 The real Hungarian sheep is not so susceptible to atmos- 

 pheric influence as the Merino, neither are they so choice 

 In their food. The last, in fact, is what may be called 

 a hot-house plant, for his living is altogether of a highly 

 artificial nature. The native sheep produce a greater quan- 

 tity of wool, though not so fine in quality ; the meat is 

 better in quantity and quality also. They likewise pro- 

 duce milk, which is sold at a good profit. The ewes of 

 this race, when taken care of, frequently drop two 

 lambd. The skin is the favourite clothing of the 

 peasants ; for without his bunda he could not endure the 

 changes of temperature to which he is frequently ex- 

 posed, or guard effectually against the many maladies 

 which those changes generate. In some parts of Hun- 

 gary — in the comitat of Sobe, and at Liptau, for example 

 — an excellent cheese is made from the milk of the sheep, 

 which, with the wool and meat, yields fully as good a 

 profit as that of the Merino. Upon humid soils, the 

 latter would pine and perish, while the Hungarian would 

 thrive and fatten. 



The native sheep is known by his long vertical horns, 

 spirally formed, his long legs, quick pace, and by his 

 wool occasionally dragging on the ground from its ex- 

 treme length. Unlike thj Merinos, which are mostly 

 kept all the year round in well-appointed stables, and 

 choicely fed, the Hungarian is constantly in the open 

 air, and seldom requires shelter even during the winter 

 months. With a flock of 200 or 250 head, feeding on 

 the mountains, the proprietors reckon annually to pro- 

 duce from 15 to 191bs. of cheese per head ; independent 

 of this produce, the ewe gives a fleece of about 41bs. 

 weight, and the ram one of 61bs., unwashed. When in 

 good condition, the sheep will yield from 80 to lOOlbs. 

 of good meat, and the fat is also of a choice quality. Be- 

 fore the revoFution of '49, a couple of sheep was worth 

 about 12 florins (24s.) ; now they are asking 32 florins 

 (64s.) for the same kind, everything in the shape of food 

 having nearly doubled in price, except bread, since that 

 epoch. 



A Merino weighing from 60 to 701bs. receives 21bs. of 

 hay, or its equivalent, for its daily food. About one- 

 thirtieth of its living weight is considered suflScient. 

 For sheep with lambs a larger quantity is given as food, 

 and also during the last month of its lambing. One 

 shepherd is generally allowed for every 400 sheep ; and 

 assuming 17,000,000 to exist requiring attendance, 

 there are about 42,500 men constantly and exclu- 

 sively employed in tending sheep in Austria. 



The pigs were generally of very inferior breeds. The 

 raw products, as we have already remarked, were ex- 

 ceedingly rich and abundant, if we except the ores of 

 the more useful metals. Iron is now, for example, 

 about double the price in Austria to that of England ; 

 and the cost of transport in most parts of the empire 

 renders many of the rich and varied products of the soil 

 comparatively of little avail to manufacturing purposes. 



AWARDS TO ENGLISH EXHIBITORS, 



As Published by the Royal Imperial Agri- 

 cultural Society at Vienna, in their own 

 Journal. 

 Edited by Professor Dr. Joseph Arenstein. 



Gold Medals. 

 Messrs. Barrett, Exall, and Andrewes, Reading, for 



their portable steam thrashing machines. 

 Messrs. Clayton and Shuttleworth, Lincoln, for their 



portable steam thrashing machines. 

 Messrs. Garrett and Sons, Sasmundham, for portable 



steam thrashing machines and sowing machines. 

 Messrs. Howard, Bedford, for ploughs and harrows. 

 Messrs. Ransomes and Sims, Ipswich, for collection of 



portable steam thrashing machines, bruising mills, 



chaff-cutters, and ploughs. 

 Messrs. Davy, Brothers, Sheffield, for portable steam 



thrashing machines. 

 Mr. Henry Clayton, London, for patent steam brick - 



making machine. 

 Messrs. Hornsby, Grantham, for portable steam thrash- 

 ing machines. 

 Messrs. Dray, London, for collection of thrashing ma« 



chines, cleansing machines, &c. 



Large Silver Medals. 

 Messrs. Coleman, Chelmsford, for extirpator. 

 Messrs. Priest and Wolnough, Kingston, for horse-hoes. 

 Mr. Turner, Ipswich, for crushing mills. 



