SECRETARY'S REPORT. 131 



were offered for the best bucks, quite equal in importance to 

 those offered for the larger animals, cattle and horses. Other 

 associations were formed in other parts of the country, and in 

 order to make sure and rapid progress in the improvement of 

 the sheep of the country even among the peasants, some asso- 

 ciations were organized to furnish a certain number of bucks 

 without cost each year. In 1836, ninety-seven rams were thus 

 placed, in 1839, eighty-nine, and so on. 



It will be inferred from a mere allusion to these facts, that 

 the efforts to improve the flocks of the country were neither 

 limited nor spasmodic, as they were about the same time with 

 us. They were on a gigantic scale, encouraged and promoted, 

 from the king down, through a long series of years ; so that we 

 need not be astonished at the wealth and prosperity which this 

 branch of farming has secured to Prussia. Wool markets are 

 established in various cities and prominent towns to facilitate 

 sales. The most important of Prussia, probably, is that at 

 Breslau, in the province of Silesia, held from the 2d to the 7th 

 of June and on the 2d of October. But there are several other 

 very important points. 



The high reputation of the Merinos of Austrian Silesia is 

 well known. They have been bred there in great perfection for 

 many years, as well as in the adjoining country of Moravia. 

 Most of the nobility and the great landed proprietors are largely 

 engaged in the production of fine wool. The peasants, on the 

 other hand, still stick to the " old natives," or the common 

 sheep of Germany, while the settlers on the other side of the 

 Carpathians keep the Hungarian sheep, called there Zakels, of 

 a long and coarse wool. 



The Merinos first introduced into Austria came from the 

 most celebrated flocks of Spain. It was towards the close of the 

 last century that they were first naturalized there, chiefly through 

 the efforts of the Empress Maria Theresa. Many pure bred 

 and vigorous animals, of very fine, soft fleeces, soon found their 

 way into the hands of private individuals, and thus gradually 

 this important industry grew up to almost gigantic propor- 

 tions. The pretty general spread of fine wools over the great 

 estates of Silesia, and their intelligent treatment there, date 

 from the first ten years of the present century. The growing 

 of fine wool was taken up with enthusiasm, the landholders 



