i^ 



AGRICULTURAL ESSAtS. 



next to the Bakewell breed. There is a new breed rearing 

 in Virginia, by a Mr. Custis, which he calls the Arlington 

 sheep, that yield fleeces of long wool, well fitted for the man- 

 ufacture of worsted fabricks. They are said to be a mixture 

 of the Bakewell breed, with a long wooled Persian ram. which 

 was imported by Gen. Washington. 



The island called Smith's Island, lying off the eastern cape 

 of Virginia, is remarkable for producing a breed of sheep of 

 uncommonly fine wool, which on account of the largeness and 

 fineness of their fleeces, promise to be highly valuable, provid- 

 ed the breed does not degenerate, in a few years, when takei> 

 trom that Island. They are shorn twice a year, and some of 

 their fleeces weigh four pounds at each shearing. 



These are the only breeds of this animal which it is neces- 

 sary to notice ; and the introduction of all these, it is evident, 

 might be greatly conducive to the farming interest of the Uni- 

 ted States ; and to derive the greatest advantage from them 

 It is obvious from the above account, that the great diversity 

 of our soil requires different breeds suited to each, by their 

 particular constitutions and habits. 



It is well known that any considerable improvements, even 

 in our common breed of sheep, have not been made in this 

 country until within a few years ; little or no attention having 

 been paid to appropriating to them the soil best suited to the 

 particular breed we might happen to possess. 

 ^ A proper consideration of the peculiar properties of the dif- 

 ferent kinds of sheep that have been mentioned, may induce 

 the farmer to introduce such as may best comport with his 

 disposition and his mterest. 



The merino breed hav€ of late been considered the most 

 profitable. 



Though it may be doubtful whether the extraordinary price 

 which their wool has heretofore commanded, has been of gen- 

 eral utility to our country, unless it might be considered an un- 

 avoidable tax, necessarily imposed by those who introduced 

 them. It IS believed to be well for our farmers generally, that 

 U\e mcrease of the merino sheep has so soon diminished the 

 price of the wool, as might be expected ; as the profits which 

 have heretofore been engrossed by a few speculators, are now 

 becoming generally distributed among tfee great mass of our 

 common farmers. One of the greatest advantages to be de- 

 nved from this breed of sheep, is to enable us to manufacture 

 a finer quality of cloth from our own produce, which we should 



