144 Improvement of Fine-woolled Spanish Sheep ^ 



which everv man who wishes to improve wool ought to 

 read, will give a more just idea of the acuteiiess of his dis- 

 crimination, the diHgence with which he pursued his pur- 

 pose, and the success that finally attended his judicious 

 juanagement, than can be stated in the brief form of a re- 

 port like this. 



Much, however, as Dr. Parry deserves the gratitude of 

 all who honour the fleece, lord Somerville's merit stands at 

 least as eminently conspicuous. Emulating the example of 

 his sovereign, his lordship, whose just discrnnination of the 

 value of different breeds of stock is admitted b)' the most 

 experienced agriculturists, made a voyage to Portugal for 

 the sole purpose of selecting, by his own judgment, from 

 the best flocks in Spain, such sheep as joined in the greatest 

 degree the merit of a good carcase to the superiority in wool 

 which the Merino flocks are allowed to possess. 



His lordship succeeded, and brought home, more than 



two years ago, a flock of the first quality, which will pro- 



. bably repay with advantage the costs of the undertaking, as 



some of his lordship's rams are said to have been already 



sold for 100 guineas each. 



As ten crops of wool have now been shorn from his ma- 

 jesty's Spanish flock, and not a single sheep from Spain has 

 been introduced into it during the whole of the ten years that 

 have produced them ; and as the tenth crop afl'orded nearly 

 ■five-sixths of prime wool and only one-fourteenth of fribbs; 

 it is to be hoped that the deep-rooted prejudice which has 

 for ages deceived the people of England into an opinion that 

 Spanish wool degenerates in this climate, will now be finally 

 lodged in that catalogue of vulgar errors which the increase 

 of liuuian knowledge daily eiilarges. It is to be hoped also 

 that a bold assertion hazarded here, that the mutton of 

 Spanish fine-woolled sheep is coarse, tough, and little better 

 than carrion, will be contradicted by the evidence of Mr. 

 Giblet and his customers, to the satisfaction of those who 

 have unwarilv given credit to it. 



His majesty having been pleased to permit the sale of such 

 sheep as can be spared from the Spanish flock to be conti- 

 nued, the rams will be delivered at Windsor, and the ei^es 

 at Oatlands, in the latter end of August. As, however, it 

 has been suggested to his majesty that the carcases of the 

 sheep are evidently improved, and that the wool has rather 

 gained than lost in value, six guineas will in future be the 

 price of a ram, and two that of an ewe. And as his majesty 

 has been graciously pleased to continue to intrust the ma- 



naeement 



