NATURAL HISTORY. 



627 



all that lias been said of its pre- 

 sumed stability, does not alter my 

 opinion. Plenty or scarcity of an 

 article, and shifting demand for it, 

 operate on price. These are cir- 

 cumstances perpetually fluctuat- 

 ing. That breed is most generally 

 desirable which is best suited to 

 all common circumstances, and 

 requires no more care and atten- 

 tion than good common farmers 

 can, and will, bestow. 



1 have never seen better home- 

 madecloth, than the selected parts 

 of the Tunis fleeces, and especi- 

 ally the cut next the pelt, will 

 aflbrd. Some of them will bear 

 three cuts, of about an inch and 

 an half to two inches long each. 

 Many of the fleeces are of this 

 description, and more are short 

 and fine. Of worsted and fleecy 

 hosiery, I have not seen any other 

 wool produce superior fabrics for 

 common use. For the latter, the 

 cut next the pelt has been used. 

 I have seen some fleeces appa- 

 rently furry next the pelt, like 

 beaver, but consisting of very 

 fine-fibred wool. 



The mutton is known to be 

 among the finest and best in our 

 market. The proportion of flesh 

 to thesize of theanimal,is, Ithink, 

 remarkably great. There is little 

 ofial in this sheep. It is, when 

 pure, hornless ; and its bones are 

 small. It lays the fat on profit- 

 able points. Though it does not 

 shew the suet on the kidneys as 

 much as do some other sheep, yet 

 the fat is mixed with the flesh, 

 which is of the most inviting 

 colour, and marbled in a striking 

 degree. Its tail (which I have 

 known, when prepared for cook- 

 ing, to weigh from six to eight 

 pounds) if properly dressed, is a 



feast for an epicure. The tail of 

 a young beaver, which 1 have en- 

 joyed when I dared to indulge in 

 such food (when free from a fishy 

 or sedgy taint, to which, at cer- 

 tain seasons, the flesh of amphi- 

 bious animals is subject), is the 

 only rival I know. 



The following additional ac- 

 count of these sheep can be veri- 

 fied by myself, and others who 

 have gained a practical knowledge 

 of them. 



1. The Tunis sheep are better 

 set with wool than any others ge- 

 nerally known here. The Merino 

 may be an exception ; but it re- 

 mains for experiment, in a com- 

 mon course of keeping sheep, by 

 farmers here. There is no part of 

 its body uncovered. It does not 

 shed its wool like common sheep ; 

 so that I have never seen a ragged 

 Tunis sheep, where the blood of the 

 stock predominated. If the wool 

 of the mixed breed is deciduous, 

 it shows that the sheep partakes 

 of the cross more than the stock. 

 I have known one kept unshorn 

 for a year after the fleece might 

 have been taken off; and the fleece 

 continued entire and thriving, 

 and the sheep remained in high 

 health ; but I would not recom- 

 mend this as an eligible practice. 

 For very fine fabrics the Merino 

 wool can be used alone, and such 

 are only within the purchase of 

 the wealthy. It is most gene- 

 rally mixed with fine wool of 

 other fleeces, and it is in such 

 case worked to most profit. The 

 Tunis wool is sufiicient for all 

 common purposes, and can be 

 applied without mixture with 

 other wool, to more uses than 

 that of the Merino, or any other 

 sheep generally known here. The 



2 S 2 



