318 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



The art of nutrition being directed, in the ovine 

 animal, toward the superficies, and being con- 

 fined to the growth of wool, the augmentation 

 of %vool in length and in flexibility experiences 

 a moment of rest at the time that nutrition is 

 stopped, when the animal is deprived of his ne- 

 cessary quantity of feed. Sheep, •well fed, com- 

 pensate for the increase of expense by the 

 weight of their fleece and the increased quality 

 of the wool. 



However, there is an essential difference to 

 be observed between short-'wooled and long- 

 wooled sheep. Abundant and extremely nutri- 

 tious feed soon makes the wool of the first too 

 long — an inconvenience w-hich is not to be 

 feared from the second class of sheep. Flat 

 countries, interspersed with fat and fertile pas- 

 turages, are thus naturally destined to the pro- 

 duction of long wool. 



2. When sheep receive too little nourishment, 

 or that this, given in insufficient quantity, is not 

 sufficiently nutritions, the wool preserves its 

 fineness — acquires a certain length — but it is 

 wanting a certain degree of resistance, (or elas- 

 ticity ;) it is also unfurnished \vith the requisite 

 oiliness, and thus makes it brittle, rough to the 

 touch, and dry as flax. 



3. The regularity in the dispensation of food 

 is of the highest importance ; the wool is, in a 

 great measure, influenced by it ; and this can be 

 observed when, in winter, sheep are well fed 

 with hay, grains, beans, oil cake, and when that 

 supplementary food is too soon suppressed in 

 spring. The ■w-ool experiences a period of rest 

 later, continuing to grow under more favorable 

 circumstances ; the v^-oolly hair is less elastic ; 

 and, in proportion of its extent, a weak point is 

 discovered — a true cicatrice — indicating the ir- 

 regularity of growth which we have signalized. 



4. Opinions differ with regard to the action of 

 certain kinds of food on wool ; all, however, 

 agree to attribute to fertile pastures a marked 

 effect The fleece is more abundant — the hair 

 is longer, and is distinguished by its smoothness, 

 its flexibility, and its strength. Grains produce 

 an analogous action. These aliments augment 

 the oiliness and the good qualities of the wool. 



Sturm establishes as a point that all nutrition 

 that favors transpiration produces a finer wool ; 

 they are those that contain much nutritive mat- 

 ter in a small volume. Pastures interspersed 

 with aromatic plants enter into this category — 

 as well as grains given in the sheep-fold. 



Two sheep (says Perrault de Jotemps) belong- 

 ing to the same race, covered with the same 

 quality of wool, but managed in different ways, 

 so that to one is given feed to fatten, and to the 

 other his ordinary diet, present already to the 

 first shearing a variety of wool. Wixh the first 

 it win be longer, coarser, and will have lost its 

 (618) 



elasticity; these consequences (he adds) are 

 much more sensible at the second and tliird 

 shearing. The other sheep will have preserved 

 all the primitive qualities of the fleece. The 

 difference of diet being continued to the third 

 generation, the descendants cannot be recog- 

 nized as being derived from the same source. 



From Mr. Morrell's exceUent work, tlie latest 

 American one, on Sheep, published lately by 

 the Messrs. Harpers, we take the follo%\ing: 



The author remarks : " The variations in the 

 diameter of the wool in the different parts of 

 the fibre \viU also curiousl}' correspond with the 

 degree of heat at the time the respective por- 

 tions were produced. The fibre of the wool, 

 and record of the meteorologist, vi-ill singularly 

 agree, if the variations in temperature are suffi- 

 cientiy distant from each otlier for any apprecia- 

 ble part of the fibre to grow.'' 



In confiiTnation of the general fact as to the in- 

 fluence of climate on wool and hair, the remarks 

 of Mr. Hunter, an Ece;lish author of high au- 

 thority, are quoted : '• Sheep earned from a cold 

 to a warm climate soon undergo a remarkable 

 change in the appearance of their fleece. From 

 being verj- firm and thick, it becomes thin and 

 coarse ; untU at length it degenerates into hair. 

 Even if this change should not take place to its 

 full extent in the individual, it ^^^ll infallibly do 

 so in the course of a ereater or less number of 

 generations. The effect of heat is nearly the 

 same on the hairs of other animals. The same 

 species that in Russia. Siberia, and North Amer- 

 ica, produce the most beautiful and valuable furs, 

 have nothing in the warmer climates but a coarse 

 and thin covering of hair." 



The above must be received with some limi- 

 tation. Mr. Youatt makes the following re- 

 marks : •' Temperature and pasture have an in- 

 fluence on die fineness of the fibre, and one 

 ^vhich the farmer should never disregard ; but 

 he may, in a great measure, counteract this in-" 

 fluence by careful management and selection in 

 breeding. The original tendency to the produc- 

 tion of a fleece of mixed materials existing, and 

 the longer coarse hair covering and defending 

 the shorter and softer wool. Nature may be grad- 

 ually adapting the animal to his new' locality ; 

 the hair may increase and the wool may dimin- 

 ish, if man is idle all tlie while : but a little at- 

 tention to breeding and management will limit 

 the extent of the evil, or prevent it altogether. 

 A better illustration of this cannot be found, than 

 in the fact that the Merino has been transplanted 

 to every latitude on the temperate zone, and to 

 some beyond it — to Sweden in the north, and 

 Australia in the south, and has retained its ten- 

 dency to produce wool exclusively, and wool 

 of nearly equal fineness and value." 



M. Lastej-rie. the unwearied advocate of the 

 Merino.s, uses this remarkable language : •' The 

 preservation of the Merino race in its purity at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and under the rigorous 

 climate of Sweden, fumi.sh an additional sup- 

 port of this, my unalterable opinion. Jine-irookd 

 sheep may he kept u-hcrcvcr industrious men 

 and intellig-cnt breeeders exist." 



Notwithstanding the above is so consolatory, 

 and withal so verj' encouras-inff to onr brethren 

 of the Southern States to embark in sheep hus- 

 bandry, yet it is undeniable that in northeni lat- 

 itudes the finest wools are produced ; but this 

 has arisen much from .superior skill in breeding. 



