68 STATES OF THE RIVER PLATE. 



of English and French (Eambouillet) Merinos, as well as 

 German, with crosses of Leicester, Southdown, and other 

 British long and medium-woolled sheep. 



The result, as stated by the ' Old Norfolk Farmer,' is, 

 that the Australian wool is of greater value than any 

 other, ' being as fine as the Merino, at the same time that 

 it is longer and stronger in staple, and, as he says, ' its 

 value in the market bespeaks its merits ; for, while the 

 finest (European) Merino is worth only 2s. 3c?. per lb., the 

 best Austrahan wool is worth 2s. 9c?. per lb.' 



The facts and results related by the ' Old Norfolk 

 Farmer,' of the commencement and success of Australian 

 sheep-breeding, bear so marked an analogy to an indivi- 

 dual case of breeding and equal success in this country, 

 that I give the facts : A gentleman of this country, possess- 

 ing a number of pure Pampa long-woolled sheep, crossed 

 and refined them for a series of years (20 to 25) with the 

 Merino (Saxony). From the total of this refined flock he 

 then selected 180 ewes — the flower of tlie flock. These 

 he crossed with pure Cabana Imperial Eambouillet rams, 

 and for nine or ten years has continuously refined them 

 with pure rams of the same blood. The result of his 

 system of management and breeding is the success which 

 I report. His breed now surpasses in weight of fleece, 

 length and strength of staple, any and all of the imported 

 European sheep, and possesses a degree of fineness, soft- 

 ness, and elasticity of wool, very remarkable, and sufiicing 

 for any purpose whatever. The result of the sale of his 

 last year's cHp in the ' Plaza Constitucion ' (despite 'sarna' 

 caught from a neighbour's flock), as per broker's account 

 sales, was, for the ' borrega' and ewe flock, hW ""/,, per 

 sheep, equal to 7s. l^\d. per head in wool on the spot. 

 This same parcel of wool was re-sold at an equivalent to 

 60|f per fleece — equal to nearly 9s. 



