1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



215 



seen in water in 26 hours. Professor Pohl, at 

 Dresden, produced, in this manner, vegetation 

 from dried seeds 100 years old; and Messrs. Jac- 

 quin and Vander Schott, at Vienna, have caused 

 the growth of old seeds in the botanical garden 

 which had resisted every other method." 



From the last London edition of the "Complete Grazier." 



OiV THE BREEDING, REARING, AND FATTEN- 

 ING OF SHEEP. 



[Continued from p. 167 Vol. III.] 

 On the Merino, or Spanish Sheep. 



The sheep of this foreign species have horns of a 

 middle size, of which the ewes are sometimes des- 

 titute; faces white; legs of the same color, and 

 rather long; shape not very perfect, having a piece 

 of loose skin depending from the neck; bone fine; 

 pelt fine and clear.* 



The wool of the Merino sheep is uncommonly 

 fine, and weighs upon an average, about three 

 pounds and a half per fleece. The best Merino 

 fleeces have a dark brown tinge on their sur- 

 face, almost amounting to black, which is form- 

 ed by dust adhering to the greasy, yolkv pro- 

 perties of its pile; and there is a surprising con- 

 trast between it and the rich, white color within 

 as well as the rosy hue of the skin, which peculiar- 

 ly denotes high proof. The Merinos are natives 

 of the northern provinces of Spain, and were first 

 introduced into this country in the year 17S7- but 

 it was not until 1792 that any efl'ectual measures 

 were adopted towards improving our native breeds 

 by a Spanish cross. In the last-mentioned year 

 his majesty George III. received several rams of 

 the Negretti breed; but so great was the force of 

 prejudice, that notwithstanding the manufacturers 

 confessed the wool of the Anglo-Spanish cross to be 

 of prime quality, yet not one-individual bid for it a 

 price at all equal to what they paid for good Span- 

 ish wool. From these sheep imported by his Ma- 

 jesty, and from the great exertions of the late 

 Lord Somervilie, (who at an immense expense 

 imported a flock of choice Merinos,) great benefit 

 has been derived to the wool, by crossing this sort 

 with the best British breeds, although the produce 

 of the cross has not been improved in shape. The 

 most successful cross has been with the herfbrd- 

 shire, the fleece of which is heavier, in proportion 

 to the carcass, than that of any other known breed 

 in Europe, the average weight of the fleeces of 

 two-shear ewes being estimated at four pounds 

 and a halt avoirdupoise, in an unwashed state; 

 and the fleece of a fat wether of the same ao-e will 

 be from five to seven pounds. 



From the high prices which Anglo-Merino 

 wool commanded during the late war, o T eat ex- 

 pectations were formed of the advantages to be 

 obtained from the introduction of Spanish sheep, 

 which were accordingly imported to a great ex- 

 tent, and sold at very high pricest. Of Isome of 



the crosses with that breed, we have already seen 

 the result: its effect has also been tried in Sussex 

 uponthe south-down sheep, by Lord Sheffield, and 

 other eminent breeders, and the wool of the (locks 

 was thereby considerably improved; but it was ac- 

 companied by some capital defects, not to be com- 

 pensated by any improvement of the fleece— tender 

 constitution, slow feeding, bad shape and deficiency 

 in the number of lambs. This new breed has 

 therelbre been generally given up in Sussex,* and 

 also in Wiltshire, where it had been extensively 

 tried. f There are still, however, many large flocks 

 of pure Merinos, the proprietors of which affirm 

 that their qualites are not only uninjured, but have 

 even been improved by their naturalization in this 

 country. So far as regards the carcass, this may 

 be true; but some of the evidence before the late 

 committee of the House of Lords goes to prove, 

 that the wool has become more harsh; a statement' 

 it may be observed, which is corroborated by the 

 difficulty in selling it, and rendered probable by the 

 difference of climate and of treatment to which 

 the animal has been exposed^ though at the same 

 time it is admitted, that the weight of the fleece 

 has been increased, and that the price is double 

 that of south-down.§ The flesh is also fine; 

 but, notwithstanding the improvement of the car- 

 cass, the return in mutton is still deficient.1T 



In Spain, the sheep from which these flocks 

 have been obtained, arc bred in the northern pro- 

 vinces of the kingdom of Leon, and of Segovia and 

 Soria, in Old Castile, and the district of JBuitrago, 

 in New Castile; from whence, after being shorn, 

 they are driwn southward at the approach of win- 

 ter, and remain dispersed over the plains of Es- 

 tremadura, La Mancha, and Andalusia, until the 

 return of summer, when they travel back to their 

 native pastures; and whether from instinct or ha- 

 bit, they are said to display symptoms of restless- 

 ness as the time approaches for their change of 

 pasture. They are, in consequence termed Trash- 

 umante flocks— those which are stationary being 

 called Estdntes; and there is a code of regulations, 

 sanctioned by the authority of law, for the govern- 

 ment of the shepherds during these periodical 

 migrations. The ancient pasturages in the south 

 are secured to them at a fixed rate. A strip of 

 land, of considerable width, is left in pasture at 

 each side of the road for their accommodation, 

 without which they could not travel with conve- 



— sold from 25 to 75 gs. each; and ewes, from 14"-s. f 

 55gs.: all the latter, and many of the former, bein<*° full- 

 mouthed. The entire sale averaged, as follows:— 



40 rams 1869 gs. 

 60 ewes 1958 gs. 



100 



Average 46| 

 328 



3S27gs. Total Average £40 3 7 



* Agricultural Survey of Sussex, p. 310, and evi- 

 dence of Mr. Elman before the committee of the 

 House of Lords, on the wool trade, 1828. 



* Facts and observations on British Wool. 4to 1799 

 pp. 4, 5. Minutes of evidence before the Lord's Com- 

 mittee on the wool trade, in 1S28. pp. 69, 234. 



t At the sale of sheep belonging to his Majesty- 

 George III. at Kew, in 1809, rams, of the Negretti and 

 raular race— two of the most esteemed breeds in Spain 



t Evidence of Mr. Cunnington, ditto, p. 193. 



t Evidence of Mr. Sheppard, Chairman of the Lon- 

 don Committee on the wool trade, before the committee 

 ot the House of Lords, on the wool trade, 1828. 



5 Evidence of Mr. Hubbard, of Leeds, ditto, ditto; 

 and of Mr. Varley, of Leeds, ditto, ditto. 



IT Evidence of Mr. Webb Hall, of Sneed Park, Glou- 

 cestershire, ditto, ditto. 



