FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 103 



bred towards the French until they obtained about 

 fifteen-sixteenths of that blood, and now find the cross 

 best the other way. One of the last of these crosses 

 now appears to promise extremely well.* 



While the breeder of pure blood American Merinos 

 has no occasion, in my judgment, to change them by 

 a cross with any other variety, I at the same time be- 

 lieve that the owner of the mixed French and Ameri- 

 can varieties has no occasion to despair of obtaining, 

 at least, a most excellent and valuable sub-variety, if 

 his crosses are judiciously made. There is a "debata- 

 ble land" between the mutton and wool producing 

 regions where these crossed sheep, or where the full 

 blood French sheep may prove the most profitable 

 variety. Even the latter demand no more feed or 

 care than the high-bred mutton varieties ; they are 

 probably about as good nurses ; and they will yield a 

 large quantity of meat, and meat of a quality which 

 always commands a ready sale in our markets. Their 

 annual product of wool would be far more valuable 

 than that of any mutton variety. Their want of early 

 maturity, as I shall presently show, would be no ob- 

 jection to them in such situations. 



In France, where both mutton and forage are 

 worth twice as much as in our country, the French 

 Merino holds its ground against the best long and 

 middle wooled sheep brought from England. 



It has another valuable place to fill, namely : on 

 farms where surplus capital keeps up high systems of 

 husbandry, is lavish in erecting structures, and em- 



* Particularly the get of a choice old ram known as the " Lucius 

 Itobinson" ram, one of the best sire rams ever got by the " Old Robin- 

 son" ram. 



