liO AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



JFbr the Jgricidtural Museian. 



MERINO RIDDLE. 



As it may lead to calculations and enquiries useful to 

 those preparing to propagate Merino Sheep, a solution 

 is asked of the ibllovvino-; — admitting that the iJth dip of 

 full blood on common stock, or 31|32's of full blood, is 

 equivalent to full blood — 



How comes it, that the little tenant, with one single 

 Ewe, may, by breeding in and in, have a full.blood ' 

 Lamb in the fifth year : — and yet the great Landlord, 

 from one hundred Ewes, will not have, by the same pro- 

 cess, and on the most favorable calculation, more than 

 hree full-blood Lambs, within the same period of time ? 



Shepherd. 



SUMMARY OF FACTS, 



Ildaiive to American Sheep, by a Farmer of Pennsylva 

 nia. — Transmitted to the English Board of Agriculture p 

 hy General Washington, in 1794 



I COIOIUNICATEO BT MB. CVSTIS. 



The Sheep of America are not natives ; there are no 

 wild Sheep ; they are of coarse all domesticated. No 

 animal requires more care and attention than this ; it is 

 naturally timid, and helpless, and seems to have less of 

 the instinct, which in brutes is a substitute for reason, 

 than any other beast. It cannot defend itself against its 

 numerous foes ; it is a prey to dogs at home; and if it 

 should stray into the forests, the beasts of prey would 

 soon destroy it. Some are, comparatively with other 

 Sheep, more hardy, but compared with other beasts, they 

 are all delicate. 



The stock of our Sheep is European. — The Swedes 

 and Dutch had a few previous to English settlers, but the 

 importations of any consequence were from England. — 

 The Germans also brought Sheep, and i have known 



