i 
256 on 
American Saxon merino, 65 pounds carcass, 3 pounds triple X wool, 4,5, per cent. wool. 
American improved Spanish, 65 pounds carcass, 4 pounds double X wool, 6% per cent. 
wool. 
American improved Spanish, 65 pounds carcass, 44 pounds single X wool, 6}} per cent. 
wool. ; 
After a minute and fair examination of these Australian wools, we cannot see that 
our Pennsylvania flocks would be benefited by crossing with the breeds which these 
samples represent. ; 
The Silesian breed of sheep is larger than ghat of the Saxon merino, and would 
change but little the above percentage of triple X wool, while the Paular breed is less 
in size than that of the American improved Spanish; and their percentage of wool, 
of both double X and single X, would also be nearly the same. 
There are various other breeds of sheep in the State, kept more for mutton than wool. 
Among these the Leicester stands highest. Their wool is long and beautiful, and is 
used for combing purposes. We deem it unnecessary to mention anything further of 
other varieties of breed. | 
Some samples accompany this report. 
Respectfully submitted. 
JOHN McDOWELL, 
M. H. EWING, 
JAMES G. STREAN, 
WM. DAVIS, 
W. LEE ARCHER, 
Commiitee. 
Mr. Le Moyne has forwarded to.the Department a tery fine collection 
of samples of wool, grown in Pennsylvania, which have been in the mu- 
seum of the Department for exhibition. . 
Mr. Joubert, in a letter to the Department, took exception to Mr. Ran- 
dall’s remarks, suggesting that his opinions had been formed from erro- 
neous impressions derived from specimens which had been brought from 
Australia, ‘under false pretenses,” and intimating that he should like 
to have Mr. Randall’s opinion of the fleeces sent to the Department. 
And in a subsequent letter to the Department, Mr. Joubert repeats his 
objections to the views expressed by Mr. Randall, and incloses an extract 
from the Sydney Herald, commenting, with some severity, upon Mr. Ran- 
dall’s views of the comparative merits of the fine wools of this country 
and Australia, and repeating the suggestion of Mr. Joubert that his 
opinion of Australian wools had been formed from “ worthless culls” that 
had been shipped to the United States from New Zealand under false 
pretenses. In this connection the following communication from Mr. 
Randall, written after a careful examination and analysis of the samples 
of Australian wools forwarded by Mr. Joubert, will be read with inter- 
est by the buyers of sheep and the wool-growers of this country: 
CORTLAND VILLAGE, NEw York, May 15, 1873. 
Str: I have received yours containing the letters addressed to you by Mr. Jules Jou- 
bert, secretary of the Agricultural Society of New South Wales, commenting on the 
opinion which I expressed, in answer to your inquiries, in regard to the expediency of 
introducing Australian merinos into our country by the system of exchanges proposed 
by Mr. Joubert. I wrote you: 
“In regard to fine-wool sheep, apparently the most favorable subjects of exchange, 
the standards of breeding in the two countries are essentially different. A friend of 
mine brought out from Australia some merinos, six or eight, and placed them with me. 
They were from the most celebrated flocks, and were mostly first-prize sheep at the 
Australian International Colonial Show.* They were of good size and form, and were 
very hardy and vigorous. Their wool was much finer than ours, and more than pro- 
portionably lighter. Compared with ours they wereathin-wooled sheep. Their fleeces 
would not sell for enough more per pound than American merino fleeces to be as prof- 
itable as the latter.” 
Here everything that could be asked for was conceded to these Australian sheep, except 
jn regard to their relative weight of fleeces. Because I declared them inferior to Amer- 
,can merinosin that respect, Mr. Joubert assumes that they were “ miserable specimens ” 
* By my own mistake, or that of the printer, this designation is improperly given. 
For “ International Colonial Show” read “Inter-colonial Show.” 
