44 Report njjon the Af/ricultMral Features 



Groii'th. This point also refers entirely to wool, and not 

 at all to carcass. The wool must be equally grown over the 

 carcass. It must be equal in length on back, sides, and belly. 

 The head must be woolled down to the nose, and over the entire 

 ears ; and the legs must be clothed with wool down to the hoofs. 

 Fine wrinkles on the horns are looked for in selecting rams. 



Length. The length of wool varies from one to about four 

 finger-breadths. The Prussian and French Rambouillet are. 

 longer woolled than the Hungarian Merino. 



Stature. This refers to the carcass and character of the 

 sheep. The Merino is of a fair size, and derives his distinguish- 

 ing characters from his head, horns, fleece, and general contour. 

 The head is very handsome, and horned in both sexes. The 

 head is Roman, and covered with wool over the ears and nose. It 

 is short and broad across, the poll or crown. The ears are short, 

 and the horns must be open and wide between, well turned, and 

 marked with fine transverse wrinkles. The nose is often pink, 

 but is Ijetter dark. The neck is short but full, and gains much 

 character from the heavy folds or wrinkles of skin, which adorn 

 both males and females. The shoulders are very broad over the 

 tops, and some are apt to be high or pointed in the withers. The 

 body is long, the ribs deep and well sprung ; the hind-quarters apt 

 to sink. The legs are short, and the hocks are apt to be narrow 

 or cat-hammed. There are also folds of skin gathered together 

 over the tail, giving the puckei'cd appearance known as the 

 " rose." 



Much remains to be said upon the Merino, but I defer 

 further remark until I describe Hungarian and Austrian 

 farming, when the management of the sheep will form a section. 

 I now turn to the consideration of the many fine examples ot 

 the breed which appeared on the Show-ground. 



France. 



A small but choice selection of Merino and Rambouillet sheep 

 were sent from France. I noticed several rams from the Govern- 

 ment sheep-stables at Rambouillet. They were large, some- 

 Avhat coarse in the wool, and were not very well closed in the 

 fleece. There was an absence of folds of skin about the neck ; 

 l)ut not in all cases. The ewes were very fine in the wool, and 

 the sheep were good specimens of the variety they represented. 



The Messrs. Russell, of Farningham, Kent, purchased four 

 Merino ewes, in lamb, from M. Varin d'Epensival, of Epensival, 

 near Givry-en-Argonne, Marne. They hope to save a ram or 

 two to cross with their long-woolled ewes, and to cross the 

 Merino with a pure long-woolled Kent sheep, for the purpose oi 

 gaining finer wool (see page 6). 



