100 FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



kept French Merinos, I gave them much the same 

 care they had in their own country, and found them 

 to thrive and breed and weigh and shear as they did 

 there, almost. The long winter and the necessity of 

 feeding dry food so many months, told upon them 

 somewhat. They are good breeders and nurses, often 

 having twins and rearing them well. As a cross upon 

 our usual type of Merino, I consider them very valu- 

 able, but quite unfit for the general use as a stock 

 sheep* of our farmers at ^esent. With a better hus- 

 bandry and improved shepherding, they may one of 

 these da} r s take their place among us as a breed ; but 

 now their crosses are what we must look to. I have 

 no data that I can lay my hand upon of weights of 

 fleece or carcass, nor of measurements. I sold my 

 whole flock some six years ago to J. D. Patterson, of 

 Westfield, who has now no doubt the finest sheep of 

 thjs breed in the country."-)- 



It will be observed that there is a hint of the want 

 of adaptation in these sheep to our climate and com- 

 mon systems of husbandry in all the preceding com- 

 munications from the most noted breeders of them, 

 except Mr. Patterson, and he would seem to make 

 the same admission by implication in a letter which 

 is to follow. ;f It may, therefore, be assumed to be a 

 conceded and settled fact. 



Another point seems equally clear, that the inferior 

 sheep of the variety are not like inferior American 

 Merinos, still hardy and still valuable, but almost 

 utterly worthless. This is a disadvantage which al- 



* This letter was dated January 13, 1862. 

 J- By stock sheep I mean the main body of a flock, 

 \ Perhaps I should hardly use the word " admission," for Mr. E. L. 

 Gage, of De Ruyter, informs me that Mr. Patterson makes no secret 

 of such views. If he did not state them explicitly to me, it was be- 

 cause he was not questioned. 



