218 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



made to Merinos, viz. : That thej do not make a profitable 

 return for " artificial feeding," and do not arrive at the " early 

 maturity" so desirable to the breeder and feeder of mutton 

 sheep, as such. And he should also consider whether he can 

 resort to this mode of feeding, to the neglect of his short pas- 

 tures, and regardless of the amount of coarse food which he can 

 economically and profitably feed to small and hardy sheep. 

 He may on this point compare the profitable sheep husbandry 

 of England with the profitable sheep husbandry of Vermont, 

 and decide for himself which system is most worthy of his 

 adoption. 



While the introduction of Merinos among the mutton grow- 

 ers of England did not succeed, the experiment was made on 

 the continent of Europe with very general satisfaction. In 

 France, where sheep husbandry has been very much neglected, 

 and where the native sheep have never reached a high stand- 

 ard, either for wool or mutton, the government made great 

 efibrts to introduce Merinos, and in 1786 laid the foundations 

 of the famous Rarabouillet flocks, from which importations have 

 been made into this country. The Revolution seems to have 

 checked the enterprise, however, and as late as 1831 there 

 were 30,000,000 of the native breeds, and only 250,000 of the 

 pure Merinos. From this cause, the extensive fine woollen 

 manufactories of France are dependent on other nations for 

 their supply of raw materials ; and yet the only sheep in that 

 empire which are considered truly valuable are descended from 

 the Rambouillet flock, so admirably described by Cliancellor 

 Livingston, and from which the well known importation of Mr. 

 Collins, of Hartford, Connecticut, was made in 1840. It is 

 said of them that : — 



" 1. They possess as good constitutions, and are as thrifty 

 and as hardy as any native or imported sheep whatever. 



" 2. They attain a great age, having been known to reach 

 twenty years, and may bo depended on as good breeders till 

 twelve or fourteen years old. 



" 3. They have large, loose skins, full of folds, especially 

 around the neck and below it, on the shoulders, and not unfre- 

 quently over the whole body ; the wool thickly covering its 

 surface, the forehead, cheeks, and the legs, clear down to the 

 hoofs, giving the fleece, when shorn and spread out in its ample 



