FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 13 



ages three inches over the carcass. I never yet saw 

 or heard of one. 



The fleece of the Spanish Merino was exceedingly 

 dense, level on the surface, uniform as between ani- 

 mals of the same family, and even in quality in the 

 individual. The sheep of the Escurial cabana were 

 destitute of external "gum" (indurated yolk), and 

 therefore quite light colored. Most of the celebrated 

 flocks, however, had more of it, and were more or less 

 dark some as dark as the unhoused Merinos of the 

 present day. The wool was free from indurated yolk 

 within, and it opened with a fine lustre and the other 

 general characteristics which still distinguish the 

 breed. 



Gilbert, a French writer of great reputation, stated 

 in a report to the National Institute of France, in 

 1796, that " all the wool of Spain he had examined, 

 not excepting the prime Leonese, the most esteemed 

 of any, appeared to contain much more jar than that 

 of Rambouillet." This would imply that the best 

 wools of Spain exhibited this defect,* but Gilbert 

 says " they pretend the best of the Spanish wool is 

 not imported into France." 



The weight of the Spanish fleeces was placed by 

 Livingston at eight and a half Ibs. in the ram, and five 

 Ibs. in the ewe, which he stated lost half in washing. 

 Youatt gives the average weight of the ram's fleece 



* There lias been some confusion as to the use of the term "jar" in 

 our country. I think the foreign writers do not mean by it that 

 firmly rooted hair which projects from the wool on the thighs, necks, 

 &c., of some sheep, but that sharp-pointed, shining hair which is found 

 detached from the skin within the fleece, and usually much shorter than 

 the wool. It becomes detached when the wool has partly grown. 



