10 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



the very finest Saxony wool. The fibre of the wool proper, 

 then, is not changed or enlarged by climate. 



But this question, it would seem, has been finally put at 

 rest by the carefully conducted experiments of Professor San- 

 son, the most eminent zootechnist in France ; published in 

 the Comptes rendus of the French Academy, such a publica- 

 tion by that body being in itself a sufficient indorsement of 

 Professor Sanson's scientific authority. The importance of 

 the observations justifies us in giving at length a large part 

 of Professor Sanson's note to his table of experiments, given 

 by him in detail. His researches were made upon twenty 

 specimens of wool. The animals from which the wool-fibres 

 examined were derived, he calls " precocious " merinos ; that 

 is, animals so bred and highly fed as to produce the utmost 

 weight of fleece and flesh : the race having, besides, the 

 quality of maturing early. He says : 



" It is generally admitted, from reasoning a priori, that the 

 rapidity of growth in precocious merinos, due to the abun- 

 dance and special qualities of nourishment, cannot fail to 

 increase the size of the hairs of the same wool. I have pro- 

 posed to determine scientifically the truth of this induction." 

 After stating his experiments and manner of conducting 

 them, he considers certain propositions demonstrated ; among 

 which are the following : 



" 1. The precocious development of merino sheep, having the effect 

 to carry their aptitude to produce flesh to the highest degree that sheep 

 can attain, exercises no influence on the fineness of their wool. This 

 preserves the diameter which it would have, had it developed in normal 

 conditions, for the reason that this diameter depends upon the indi- 

 vidual and hereditary aptitudes. 



" 2. The influence exercised by the precocious development upon 

 the hair of the wool exhibits itself by an augmentation of the length 

 of the same hair ; its growth, resulting from the formation of epidermic 

 cellules in the hair bulb, being more active. There is, therefore, more 

 woolly substance produced in the same time. 



" 3. The precocious development does not vary the number of hair 

 or wool bulbs existing for a determinate extent of the surface of the 

 skin. It produces, therefore, no change in what is vulgarly called the 



