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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



The centre of their productions is in the department of 

 I'Aine. There is also another circle there, which contains 

 fine flocks. 



Messrs. Boilleau d'llliers, Richer and Noblet have for 

 their chief place Rambouillet, It is to be regretted that 

 Messrs. Gilbert, h. Vitteville, Cugnot a la Douari&re, Le- 

 fevre, a Saiute Escabille, who supply the rams for La Cute 

 d'Or, have neglected the Exposition. It is supposed that 

 they did not wish to compromise themselves with the de- 

 scendants of their rams. All these gentlemen belong to 

 the cii-cle of Rambouillet. 



I am far from having enumerated all the breeders of 

 France, any more than those of Germany, who figured at 

 that celebrated Exposition. They were in appearance as 

 two armies, one representing the noble Electoral race — so- 

 much-boasted animals— of delicate form, with short but 

 fine wool, and of middling height ; the other of the race 

 called French, of large frame, and with long, thick wool, 

 but rather less fine. The German shepherds, the Schaf- 

 meister, the princes, all profess a degree of contempt for 

 this French race, which has not preserved the delicate type 

 of the Merinos of Saxony. The French breeders, laughing 

 in their sleeve, say, " It is far better to have the frame 

 paid for by the butcher, and to have the wool doubly and 

 trebly long and thick, because the wool-stapler does not 

 trouble his head about the fineness. In fact, the wool of 

 France is itself of a fine quality, approaching near to that 

 of the Germans." This comparison is modified by an 

 "almost;" but, in reality, the difference in fineness is 

 scarcely perceptible, whilst the amount of produce is at 

 least double. Besides, the French race is no longer found 

 at Rambouillet ; for that place produces short-wools. The 

 French race is in full prosperity in the centres of produc- 

 tion which I have already enumerated. 



The German Merinos have a particular aspect. The 

 surface of the fleece is blackish, and matted ; the interior 

 grease is rose-coloured. I have seen it orange (it must be 

 well understood that I do not speak of the Hampshire). 

 In the sheepfolds of the King of Saxony, they esteem 

 such ; whilst an adept of the Cote d'Or prefers white 

 grease, and makes no account of the black, muffled surface. 

 Amongst the German sheep whose aspect approaches the 

 nearest to the Merinos of France, I shall cite those of 

 Prince Schwartzenberg ; and amongst the French sheep, 

 the lot No, 1,812, of M. Hutin, had, above all others, the 



rufiled and blackish surface of the German Merinos. That 

 lot was admirable. 



I have spoken of two armies ; but their combats were 

 pacific. In the meanwhile, the Schafmeisters had dis- 

 played too much dignity in not admiring the French boxes 

 before which they passed gravely. On the other hand, 

 some words of a shepherd of the plain districts will de- 

 scribe the small account which our countrymen made of the 

 Saxony Electoral race. " If I saw," said he to me, " such 

 a ram in my flock, I would hunt him like a wolf, for fear 

 he should cover one of my ewes." And yet that ram was 

 one of the occupantn of the chief pen. 



Rivalry was manifested under various fonns. The 

 French breeder estimated his ram at 6,000 francs ; the 

 German breeder raised his price to 15,000 francs. There 

 was nothing but vanity in both. In reality, the price of a 

 good ram ought not to reach that of a fine bull. A fine 

 ram is worth from 100 to 300 francs. All beyond that is 

 pure fancy. I have seen two Durham bulls, equal in 

 beauty, for one of which 20,000 francs was refused, whilst 

 the other was sold for 1,200 francs. This latter was the 

 true value. Because a millionaire has the fancy of having, 

 at whatever jirice, a ram for which he pays 6,000 francs, is 

 it to be said that similar ones are worth 6,000 francs ? 

 Such, however, is the error — very excusable, it is true — of 

 certain breeders interested in the question. A very praise- 

 worthy practice, of which these gentlemen reserve to them- 

 selves the secret, consists in not giving more than thirty 

 ewes to a ram, and of not using the ram more than two 

 years. Upon this excellent principle, the produce of a 

 ram will be sixty lambs. Now the hire of a ram of 15,000 

 francs is worth 250 francs ; whilst that of a handsom.e bull, 

 of the best French race, is only 75 cents. The folly of 

 prices is displayed by this single comparison. 



In short, this Exposition will be as profitable to 

 Germany as to France. Messrs. the Princes would wish 

 to share the advantages of the French race. Our breeders 

 will make a point of not swerving from primitive types, the 

 bearers of fine fleeces. Each will have gained by it. Per- 

 haps the Government itself would, in the midst of the vast 

 ovine production of France, preserve some of the more pure 

 of the Merino race of the Escurials, in order to check the 

 errors of opinion, and lead in the path of perfection that 

 important branch of the national agriculture. 



MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MEETING AT WARRINGTON. 



This meeting, which took place on Thur.sday, Sept.lO, 

 was quite up to the average of former occasions. It was 

 well supported by the district generally, although, as 

 Colonel Patten, the president, said at the dinner, in 

 consequence of not strictly conforming with the rnles 

 of the society, many farmers were excluded from com- 

 petition in those classes for which they had entered. 

 This dinner was chiefly remarkable for the presence of 

 Mons. A. Mille and Mons, E. C. E. Mole, two gentle- 

 men who were commissioned by the Emperor of the 

 French to report upon the agriculture and different 

 breeds of stock of this kingdom. Mons. Mole made a 



clever little speech in French, in which he styled Eng- 

 land as "Professor of Agriculture to the World." 

 HORNED CATTLE. 

 Judges.— Mr. Heaton Clark, Ellinthorpe Lodge, near 

 Boro'-bridge. 

 Mr. W. Torr, Aylesby Manor, near Grimsby. 



For the best bull of auy short-horned breed, above two and 

 under four years old, £10, James Dickinson, UphoUand, near 

 Wigan. 



Second prize, £5, James Parr, Hatton Hall, near WarrmgtoB. 



For the beat bull of any short-horned breed, first prize, £8, 

 Thomas Atherton, Chapel House, Garstou, near Liverpool. 



Second, £4, Thomas Waller, of Mellor, Stockport. 



To the tenant farmer for the best bull of any breed above 



