54 CHINESE SHEEP. 



Persian ram, " very large and well formed, carrying wool of 

 great length, but of a coarse staple," crossed with New 

 Leicester ewes, formed, as we have already seen when speak- 

 ing of the New Leicesters, the " Arlington long-wooled sheep" 

 of Mount Vernon, a sub-variety which attracted considerable 

 notice in its day. 



The Chinese, or Nankin sheep, have recently been brought 

 into this country and England, and have attracted some notice 

 from the fact that they frequently give birth to three or four 

 lambs at a time and breed twice a year facts which have led 

 to the expectation that they may prove profitable for lamb 

 raising in the vicinity of cities. I have seen no description 

 of their qualities in any other particulars. None of these 

 breeds have proved, or probably will prove, of much value 

 as mutton sheep, compared with the improved English 

 families, and as wool-producing sheep they are all worthless 

 compared with the Merino. I have therefore thought that 

 particular descriptions of them would not be worth the space 

 they would occupy. 



Agriculture, vol. 3, p. 377. Mr. Peters, of Pennsylvania, also imported Tunis sheep, 

 and thought well of them. 



