On the Improvements effected by the Australian Climate, 

 Soil, and Culture on the Merino Sheep. 



By P. N. Trebeck, Esq. 



The subject of Merino sheep and Wool, is probably so uninter- 

 esting to most of our members, that in drawing your attention this 

 evening to the various developments and changes which have been 

 effected by our Australian squatters, I shall confine myself 

 chiefly to a comparison of the European Merino types of wcol, 

 with the various samples on the table before you, grown under 

 Australian culture. We must not forget, that our squatters, in thus 

 increasing the length, lustre, and other good qualities, have done 

 so entirely with a desire to meet the requirements and tastes of the 

 manufacturers and wearers, and thus secure the highest returns for 

 their capital and labor. Our climate and soil have assisted them 

 very materially in producing a longer and stouter fibre. In a few 

 years, should the taste for wearing fabrics made from the old style 

 of clothing wool, return, they will find that it will not be so easy a 

 matter to work back to the short dense very fine clothing wool of 

 former years. 



In examining the samples before you, you will observe that out- 

 own colony formerly produced the very highest qualities of clothing 

 wool, suitable for making the finest felts (for piano hammers, &c), 

 scarlet hunting cloths, superfine broad cloths, and other fabrics of 

 the most delicate texture, fit for royal robes. You will also see 

 the combing and lustrous samples, which have almost supplanted 

 the former, and are better adapted for the highest qualities of 

 alpacas, lustres, and the numerous descriptions of corded and fancy 

 tweeds, so popular now with peer and peasant. 



The Merino sheep, which produces these high-class wools was 

 described as long ago as the first century, by Lucius Columella of 

 Cadiz, one of the best authors on practical agriculture in that 

 century. The original flocks appear to have been confined for 



