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V7z<? following excellent directions, from The 

 Farming Society of Ireland, are deemed well 

 xvorthyofbeingrecominendedto our sheep keepers. These 

 directions are the results of experience in a country in 

 which wool has become of primary importance, and re- 

 ceives the attention and fostering care of the first cha- 

 racters of the ki7igdom ; of whom the farming society 

 consists, 



" Ist.—JFith respect to keep.— It is essential to the 

 evenness and strength of the staple, that the feeding 

 of the animal should be uniform, without any sudden 

 interruption or transition ; where that is suffered to 

 take place, the natural progress of the wool is check- 

 ed, a second growth succeeds, and the point of con. 

 tact is so weak as to snap under the operation of the 

 manufacturer, who, being aware of this disadvantage, 

 cannot of course afford such a price for wool of this 

 description, as he could for that of a more perfect sta- 

 ple :— much wool is injured in this way, between 

 summer and winter keep, which, it is conceived, 

 should be made to blend, as gradually as possible, 

 that the mischief here spoken of might be prevented 

 —what the quality of the keep should be, seems not 

 to be of so much consequence. Merino wool, from 

 the rich pastures of Meath and Carlow, was allowed 

 to be as fine as any from the Wicklow mountains.— 

 The sudden transition from rich to poor diet, or from 

 poor to rich, appears to be the circumstance which 

 ought to be avoided. 



