74 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



moment ; it is this — have the flocks preserved their original charac- 

 teristics, or have they degenerated ; and if the latter, should new 

 importations be made 1 As it regards degeneration, I barely re- 

 mark, that the test must be found in the fineness and weight oi 

 wool. It appears from statements submitted to the State Agri- 

 cultural Society last winter, that Mr. R.'s flock averaged nearly 

 Jive and a half j)ounds of wool. This was sold for 48 cents pei 

 pound. I have compared samples of it with those from the Meri- 

 nos imported by Seth Adams into Massachusetts, and to the eye 

 the staple of the former is superior to that of the latter. Mr. R 

 thinks his wool will average better than that of the originally im 

 ported sheep, of which he showed me many samples ; and wha 

 imported flock ever approximated to the average weight of fiviiL 

 ?nd a half pounds of washed wool ? As it regards fineness, I pror 

 pose to test the quality directly by measuring when I return ; fo 

 I find different persons' eyes and judgments differ very materially. 

 As this flock has become so celebrated by carrying off the first pre, 

 mium of the state society, and the society's gold medal, as the bes 

 managed flock, I will give some additional information of hi 

 flock, which I have derived directly from the owner. It consisi 

 of about one hundred breeding ewes, mostly Paulars, but contair 

 some other varieties of the same breed. After a moment's inspec, 

 tion I could readily distinguish the Paulars by their heavier an. 

 more compact carcase, shorter legs, more wrinkled skins and dark< 

 crusted wool. I 



I saw some rams and ewes got by a Rambouillet ram, which wj, 

 a choice one of the variety ; their dams, prime Paular ewes. Tl, 

 half blood Rambouillets, were lighter colored, longer legged, \&\ 

 heavy in the fleece, and altogether bearing no inconsiderable r. 

 semblance to a cross between the Paular and Saxon. Many ewf 

 were shown me which though they were only coming two or thn 

 years old, sheared last year from 5 to 6ilbs. of washed wool pi 

 head ! It seems, to be sure, almost incredible, still, when yc, 

 examine the density of the fleece and its fibres, as it stands on tl 

 skin, and then stretch out the ample folds, the whole story is told 

 it is no longer incredible, for one of those skins seem to be cap:, 

 ble of covering a carcase twice as large as the one to which it bi| 

 longs. On many of these sheep there is not an inch of skin fro)| 

 the nose to the tail, which was free from folds and wrinkles ; bi|-,.. 



