Common Sheep. 371 



and is capable of thriving, in every situation. It would be pre- 

 sumption in me to point out any particular breeds. — Local circum- 

 stances, — such as damp or dry pastures, — mountainous or flat 

 country, — short and fine, — or long and coarse, bites, — heathy and 

 barren browsing, — and numberless other circumstances, must gov- 

 ern the selection ; and experience only can decide on the success. 

 Large sheep, of any breed, are the least profitable. I have in our 

 i?d vol. page 219, fully expressed an opinion on this subject. 



Some have said, — " Encourage the growth of fine wools ; and 

 there will be a sufficiency of common wool, in the sorting, cull- 

 ings, and ofH^ils of fine fleeces.'* But this is, for the most part, 

 an erroneous opinion. As much care and judgment are necessary, 

 in growing wools appropriate to the various coarser fabricks ; as 

 can be required in the growth of the finest fleeces. True, offals, 

 cullings, and ordinary parts, may be niixed^ in many coarse arti- 

 cles. But in most of those peculiarly necessary and valuable; the 

 wool, in the great body of it, must be exactly suitable to the 

 fabrick. The wool of fleeces may, and must be, sorted by intelli- 

 gent 9tafilersj so as to suit different fabricks. But no sorting can, 

 profitably, substitute short wool, where long is required ; nor vice 

 versa. The long or short, and the fine or coarse, filament, depend 

 entirely on the breed of the animal, and the keep. Intelligence, 

 and care, in the farmer or flock master, are the predominant 

 essentials, indispensibly required to ensure the value and welfare 

 of the flock.* R. PETERS. 



January^ 1814. 



* See our 2d vol. 215, 221. 



07* In our selections will be seen excellent directions, extracted 

 from Evans Sc Ruffy's Farmers* Journal. London^ Sept. 20ih, 

 1813; for the keeping, washing, shearing, and marking of 

 sheep and lambs. Taken from an official document ; signed by 

 Mr. Dix, secretary to the farming society of Ireland, 



