447 



flocks, the king's private property, under the care and management of 

 the monks belonging to the monastery of that name, and which were 

 considered the finest sheep in the kingdom. They were shipped at 

 Cadiz, in the month of May, 1765, accompanied by two Spaniards to 

 take care of them. Five rams and three ewes died on the passage, the 

 remainder arrived safely at the Elector's private domain at Stolpen. 

 The Spanish shepherds remained with, and took care of the flock till 

 the middle of the following year, when they took their departure for 

 Spain. During the time however, they remained in Saxony, they in- 

 structed Saxon sliepherds in the care and management of sheep. 



In order the better to make this valuable acquisition benefit the coun- 

 try as much as possible, the Elector appointed a commission, to super- 

 intend and direct the general concerns of the sheep establishment, 

 whose particular duty it was made, to spread all the information they 

 could obtain on the care and management of sheep before the public, 

 and who were especially instructed to dispose of the young rams at low 

 prices, in order to induce the sheep owners to improve their flocks. 

 The tenants of the government domains were particularly favored, by 

 giving them the preference in the purchase (which is kept' up till th s 

 day), while every possible care was taken to induce farmers generally 

 to improve their breed of sheep throughout the Electorate. It was 

 further required of the said commission to make a detailed report to the 

 government, annually, on the condition of the sheep establishment, and 

 at the same time to submit a list of the persons who had received sheep 

 from the national flock. 



During the first years these valuable animals found many opponents, 

 and the improvement of ihe Spanish flock was very slow, mainly on 

 account of the common prejudice of the farmers, which was heightened 

 when the scab broke out among them, but afterwards they became 

 convinced of their value, and the improvement was more rapid. But as 

 most of the flocks in Spain are more or less affected by the scab, those 

 transported to Saxony had to undergo the same ordeal. This of course 

 heightened the prejudices of many against them, who pronounced 

 them as entirely unfit for the country, their meat not eatable, or at 

 best, of a miserable description ; a notion, however, which soon explod- 

 ed. The scab, however, caused great ravages among them before 

 they were entirely cured of this disease. 



When the commissioners had exercised their functions ten years, th 3 

 call for young rams was so great, — and in order the more rapidly to 



