BRITISH AND FRENCH AGRICULTURE. 177 



long and jealously guarded, into other parts of the 

 Continent. Sweden is said to have been the first country 

 to obtain specimens ; but, although they were introduced 

 into that country in 1723, it was not until 1793 that they 

 became firmly established there. In 1765, the Elector of 

 Saxony obtained from the King of Spain 100 rams and 

 200 ewes, which were the progenitors of the famous 

 Merinos of that country, and three years later they were 

 introduced into Prussia. In 1775, the Empress Maria 

 Theresa imported them into Hungary, and in 1791 

 George III. secured a flock of Merinos and brought them 

 to this country. The well-intentioned but, as is now 

 recognised, ill-advised attempt to establish the breed here 

 failed, notwithstanding energetic Royal support, seconded 

 by an influential society founded for the express purpose 

 of promoting the breeding of Merinos in Great Britain. 

 There was no difficulty in acclimatising the sheep, or in 

 maintaining their type and character, but they were not 

 adapted to the requirements of British flockmasters, who 

 had just learnt from Bakewell the art of breeding for 

 economic meat production, and were not content to 

 sacrifice everything for wool. Mr. Ellman was the most 

 famous breeder who gave Merinos a trial, but he declined 

 to continue the experiment. He stated that he could 

 not get them to fatten, although he treated them as well 

 as other sheep, and that he could fatten three Southdowns 

 for one Merino. 



The first attempt to introduce the Merino into France 

 was made by Colbert in the middle of the eighteenth 

 century, but his efforts were frustrated by the prejudices 

 of the people. In 1786, Louis XVI. imported a consider- 

 able number of Merinos from Spain, and established a 

 flock at Rambouillet, where, in handsome and well- 

 arranged quarters, their descendants are housed to this 

 day. In the various houses were 150 rams, representing, 

 no doubt, the highest perfection of this class of sheep, 

 and presenting an appearance of remarkable uniformity 



a.f. N 



