MERINOS. 237 



To the American breeder a close, accurate account of the precise 

 origin of Merino sheep would be of considerable interest ; unless some 

 as yet unfound history may be discovered, the precise origin of the 

 Merino will remain a matter of deduction from circumstantial evidence. 

 The Merino is certainly the oldest of surviving breeds, and as its authen- 

 tic history is almost co-existent with the history of Spain, we may for all 

 practical purposes, and without further question as to its remote ori- 

 gin, regard it as a creation of Spanish breeders, who used the finest 

 sheep of Italy and Africa, and were further assisted in improving the 

 then native flocks by the natural adaptation of Spanish soil and climate 

 to the rearing of fine-wooled sheep. 



When the flocks of Spain first came to be in great demand, there 

 were found, then as now, two classes, known respectively as "cstantes," 

 or stationary, and ' ' transhumantes, " or migratory. The stationary flocks 

 are those which remain in a certain district during the year ; while the 

 migratory class, on account of scarcity in food or water, make bi-yearly 

 journeys in search of fresh pasture. 



From the latter class generally superior most of the shipments to 

 other countries have been made. 



The French Merino originated from an importation of about 400 

 head of sheep, selected from the finest flocks of Spain, in 1786. A few 

 had been imported to France nearly a century before this date by Jean 

 Baptiste Colbert, Minister of Finance to Louis XIV., but they were not 

 appreciated, and were soon lost sight of. 



The importation of 400 head, mentioned above, was made by the 

 French government during the reign of Louis XVI., and most of the 

 sheep were placed on the Royal Farm at Rambouillet, where their im- 

 provement was carried on with considerable success ; it was from this 

 circumstance that they derived the name "Rambouillet" sheep, by 

 which they have been commonly known, The Merinos under French 

 management increased in size and weight of fleece, but lost to some de- 

 gree the hardiness of their Spanish parents. 



The fleece is fine fully equal to Spanish wool and carries a much 

 smaller quantity of yolk. This character, in connection with their in- 

 creased size, has made them quite popular in America, the small quan- 

 tity of yolk rendering the fleece much less subject to loss of weight in 

 washing; but the sheep have not found sufficient favor to push out the 

 other smooth-skinned mutton Merinos, which we shall mention later as 

 classed among the strictly American families. The wool is fine, beauti- 

 fully crimped, usually white but sometimes buff, very compact, and 

 opens in large layers. 



The American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders' Association has been 

 organized and Vol. I. of the Record published. S. D. Parsons, lona, 

 Michigan, is the present secretary. 



