Vvsl 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



24T 



:^ 



FRENCH MERINO SHEEP. 



BY GEO. CAMPBELL, OF WEST WESTMINSTER, VT. 



I RECEIVED your communication, and was very glad to hear you express the determina- 

 tion not to publish anything unless on examination you thought it to be for the interests 

 of your subscribers. I am of your mind, that the " agricultural papers have been too 

 much used to advance the interests of speculators ;" and I also agree with you that pub- 

 lishers should be more cautious, and not publish articles until they are satisfied that 

 they contain nothing but truth. Anything I say in relation to the subject will not 

 intentionally be misrepresented. 



I send yow a wood cut, engraved from a Daguerreotype, of a group of French sheep 

 imported by Wm, Chamberlain, Esq., of Red Hook, of your State, and myself, one 

 year since. 



The buck " Matchless," represented in the accompanying cut, is three years old, and 

 weighed on the first of last March, 261 lbs. His fleece of one year's growth was 20 lbs, 

 12 oz., after losing a portion of it on the sea voyage. As to the shape, constitution, 

 thickness and fineness of wool, this buck is considered by all who have examined hrm 

 to be equal to any of the breed. He was my first choice in France, and was very much 

 admired there, especially by some gentlemen from Australia, who owned large flocks of 

 sheep, and were in France for the purpose of buying bucks to cross with their sheep, 

 which originated in Germany. One of these gentlemen informed me that his number 

 already reached 44,000, and that he intended to increase it until it reached 100,000. 

 This man alone wanted 100 bucks for the service of his own sheep. He also informed 

 me that others from his country were making preparations to travel in France and 

 Spain, for the especial purpose of selecting sheep, with a view to increase the weight of 

 fleece, and if possible to retain the fineness. So you see that not only we " Americans" 

 have the " sheep fever," but that it is rapidly spreading over almost the whole world. 



The live weight of the ewes here represented, is about 125 lbs. each. The average 

 live weight of our whole flock of this breed, after having been shorn, did not vary much 

 from 100 lbs. The average weight of fleece of the whole flock, 12 lbs. 8 oz. In select- 

 ing the sheep, I regarded a large size as a matter of secondary consideration, choosing 

 those that would produce the most fine wool, according to the cost of keeping. 



It is believed by many that the French Merinos require more than ordinary feed and 

 attention, to keep them in good condition ; but my experience with them, thus far, leads 

 me to the conclusion that they will thrive well on ordinary keeping. They require 

 nothing but a good pasture during the summer season. I gave mine nothing more. 

 They are well adapted to our climate, and will bear exposure to storms equally as well 

 as any sheep in the country. A portion of ours were turned off" to pasture last June, 

 and came to their winter quarters looking remarkably well. They had no grain of any 

 description, nor were they sheltered from a single storm during the season. 



Although the French sheep possess many desirable qualities, I should be unwilling to 

 say that they are greatly superior to all other breeds in every particular, but believe 

 that all experienced and impartial judges admit that they possess the following desira- 

 ble points, viz : 



1. A good vigorous constitution. 



2. That they carry a heavy fleece of wool, of a fair grade ; and 



3. That they are gentle and docile in their dipositions, with an easy propensity to 

 fatten. 



It is my belief that the above qualities are better combined in the French sheep than 

 in any others ; but where wool alone is the object, I am of the opinion that there are 

 other varieties of the Merino, of a less size, which will yield as much or more wool, and 



CLi 



G 



^ 



rd 



