FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 9 



"The race varies greatly in size and beauty in 

 different parts of Spain. It is commonly rather 

 smaller than the middle-sized sheep of America. The 

 body is compact, the legs short, the head long, the 

 forehead arched. The ram generally (but not inva- 

 riably) carries very large spiral horns, has a fine eyo 

 and a bold step. The ewes have generally no horns. 

 The wool of these sheep is so much finer and softer 

 than the common wool, as to bear no sort of com- 

 parison with it ; it is twisted and drawn together like 

 a cork-screw ; its length is generally about three 

 inches, but when drawn out it will stretch to nearly 

 double that length. Though the wool is, when 

 cleaned, extremely white, yet on the sheep it appears 

 a yellowish or dirty brown color, owing to the close- 

 ness of the coat, and the condensation of the perspi- 

 ration on the extremities of the fleece. The wool com- 

 monly covers great part of the head, and descends to 

 the hoof of the hind feet, particularly in young sheep ; 

 and it is also much more greasy than the wool of 

 other sheep." 



To supply data which will enable any one curious 

 on the subject to make some practical comparisons 

 between these sheep and their descendants in the 

 United States, I select the following, from a more 

 extensive table by Petri, who visited Spain in the 

 early part of this century, for the express purpose of 

 examining its sheep : and I add similar admeasure- 

 ments of American Merinos : 



putation. Like all the descriptions of animals by writers of that day, 

 it is, however, exceedingly meagre and vague. But I do not think 

 the writers of that day considered the distinctions between a few of 

 the best cabanas as of much importance regarding them as about 

 equal in value. 

 1* 



