LECTURE NO. 6. 



RAMBOUILLETS ORIGIN AND HISTORY, CHARAC- 

 TERISTICS AND PRINCIPAL POINTS. 



ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 



I. Rambouillets are the direct descendants of 

 the Spanish Merino, improved by more than a cen- 

 tury of careful breeding and selection. 



(1) The improvement thus made was principally achieved 

 in France, hence the breed is frequently spoken of as the 

 French Merino, and 



(2) This improvement relates chiefly to size, vigor, length 

 of wool and strength of texture in the same. 



II. Where improvement was effected. 



(1) Until recent years the improvement of Rambouillets 

 has been effected almost entirely at the government farms in 

 France, and chiefly at Rambouillet, which gave the name to 

 the breed. 



(2) The Royal flock at Rambouillet was established in 

 1786 by Louis XVI of France. 



(3) In that year 383 animals were selected from the best 

 flocks of Spanish Merinos in Spain and brought to Ram- 

 bouillet, and a second importation was made in 1801. 



(4) The ultimate object sought was to prevent Spain 

 from securing a monopoly in the manufacture of fine wool. 



III. How improvement was effected. 



(1) The improvement of Rambouillets has been brought 

 about by long years of careful breeding within the fold at 

 Rambouillet, by the most rigid selection and by liberal feeding. 



(2) Much experimenting was done with a view to further 

 the ends sought. 



IV. The extent of the improvement made. 



(i) The mutton form has been greatly improved, also the 

 quality of the meat, and the weight of the carcass has been 



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