42 STATES OF THE HIVEE PLATE. 



of the greater part of these extensive estancieros do not 

 average over three pounds per fleece, and many not even 

 that. Notwithstanding the general fineness of the Eiver 

 Plate Merino and Mestizo wools, they are ranked among 

 the lowest in the estimation of the great home markets ; 

 and this is directly attributable to the quality of the wool 

 in point of length and soundness of staple — points in which 

 it is markedly deficient, owing to the causes which I have 

 named. 



We have, in fact, no redeeming quality in our sheep ; for 

 the one point which has been aimed at, and attained at 

 the cost of all other qualities, viz., fineness,\s proving one 

 of our greatest banes. Fineness without length, elasticity, 

 and softness, is the reverse of desirable and does not pay. 



The great consumption of the world at large is of long- 

 stapled wools : long and coarse have their especial value, 

 and long and fine (fine without prejudice to strength) have 

 theirs. So imperative has this qualification of length 

 become, that we see the highest authorities of Spain con- 

 templating the modification of the Spanish Merino breed, 

 with a view to obtain length of wool and larger develop- 

 ment of form. In England the fine-woolled sheep are at 

 a discount, as such sheep, as a rule, do not combine the 

 various qualities which render sheep-breeding profitable. 

 I have a recent report from England of the returns yielded 

 by three varieties of Leicester, and one of Coteswold sheep, 

 — the long-wooUed sheep of England — and I find that the 

 value of the fleeces of these breeds are 145. to 16s. each ; 

 the fleece of one of these sheep in England being worth 

 more than two ' good Mestizo ' sheep here. 



These sheep, or ' capones,' at the age of eighteen months, 

 under high feeding, attain the weight of 150 to 180 lbs. 

 each, as they stand, and are worth for the butcher 3/. lOs". 

 to 4/. lO*. Mature capones attain a weight of 260 to 



