of the Vienna ExMbition, 1873. 49 



The Cotswokl-Merinos were well worthy of attention, being 

 fine examples of sheep. They are hornless, with white faces, 

 resembling- Cotswolds, but with the pink noses of the Merino. 

 The ears are slightly hanging ; the top-knot is shorter than in 

 the Cotswold, and not so abundant. They were shorn in July 

 (1872), and the wool (June 9, 1873) was 4h inches long. It 

 will be remembered that the longest Rambouillet wool examined, 

 that of Herr Kannenberg's ram (see Fig. 11), was only 3 inches, 

 while ordinary Merino is frequently 1^ inch to 1^ inch long, or 

 even shorter. The wool of the cross is much finer than that of 

 the Cotswold, is very bright, has a good curl, and is well filled 

 with liquid yellow fat. It is also fairly thickly set on the skin, 

 but cannot compare in this particular with pure Merino sheep. 

 The fleece is not closed so completely as in the pure Merino, but 

 the fleeces seeined free from dirt or foreign matters. The 

 flesh is firmer than is usual on Cotswold sheep, and thicker 

 than in the case of the Merino, both back and ribs beins: well 

 covered. The girth, taken over the wool without pinching, was 

 5 feet 8 inches. The wool is scant below the knees and hocks, when 

 compared with the Merino parent. The first cross is considered 

 the best ; the cross-bred animal^ are then bred inter se. 



Count August Fries, of Czernahora, Moravia, showed crosses 

 between Cotswold and Negretti Merinos. These sheep were 

 good, but the wool was shorter than in the examples last men- 

 tioned. In samples of wool now before me the length is about 

 3;^ inches ; the wool seems a little deficient in fat, and is some- 

 what loosely put together. It is not, however, improvement in 

 quality of wool that must be looked for in ci'ossing the Merino 

 with the Cotswold. The attraction lies in the increased wei<rht 



1 • • • 



of carcass, the earlier maturity, and the improved fattening pro- 

 pensity. 



It is becoming painfully clear that Merino sheep, yielding 

 only some 3 lbs. of wool and nothing else, cannot be kept at a 

 profit, and such sheep as those described above, supply a strong 

 and reasonable hope that crosses may be introduced which will, 

 as in England, meet the demand, not only for meat, but also for 

 those qualities of wool now most in request. 



The following remarks, by Professor Wilhelm, translated from 

 the Vienna agricultural paper of June 21, are worth attention : — 

 " In comparison with former shows, there appeared to be a 

 stronger desire to attain weight of fleece. The admirers of 

 high, fine, super-electoral wool may complain, but we cannot 

 sympathise with them, looking, as we do, upon the agriculturist 

 as a merchant who must keep up with the times and supply the 

 wants of the market. As the public cease to ask for the 

 very fine cloth which fifty years since was so highly valued for 



VOL. X. — S. S. E 



