14 mprovsmsnt ofjheep and wooi. J^^y li"-* 



t)ack. to the cold climate, produce wool of the same 

 <[uajitj as their parent breed did before the migra- 

 tion ? or would thejr have been so debased by the 

 warm climate, as that themselves, and their descen- 

 dants, would continue to yield coarser wool than the 

 parent-stock ? These may, to some, appear curious 

 questions only, that promise to be o£ no great prac- 

 tical utility ; but it would be easy to fliow that the 

 ascertaining these points beyond dispute would have 

 very extensive influence on practice ; and would give 

 a steadinefs to the enterprizes in which the society 

 are engaged,, that they never otherwise can attain. 



In regard to wet and storminefs of weather (inde- 

 pendent of its affecting the quality of the food,) on 

 its altering the finenefs or other qualities of the wool 

 of fheep, its effects have never, that I know of, been 

 #x/)fr/Ww?«//y ascertained,, though it is probable that 

 these effects must be very great ; perhaps little as 

 affecting thm Jinenefs , but probably much more as af- 

 fecting the elasticity, ductility, and strength of the 

 filament. This is theiefore a very important ob- 

 ject of experimental inquiry, as,, upon the result of 

 these experiments, must be founded the propriety or 

 the inutility of many interesting particulars respec- 

 ting the management of this very useful animaL 

 Here too it may be proper to observe, that although 

 the improvement of luool is the principal object of 

 the attention of the society, it ought not to be con- 

 sidered so much the case as to preclude them from 

 making other uses of their experiments that fiiould be 

 incidentJilly connected withit. In observing, fcr exam- 

 ple, the effect of variations of clipaate upon the woo/, it 



