156 AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



tlie produce of niy flock is immense, considering tlie ca- 

 pital. 1 siiould learn with great p! *asure, that the num- 

 ber of these sheep is increasing in England ; T shall sa},, 

 in the terms of Washington, ' the muUiphcation of use- 

 ful animals is a common blessing to mankind' National 

 jealousy, on that point, is highly absurd. Industry has 

 an immense field ; and, if rival nations, instead of cross- 

 ing each other in agricultural and commercial views, en- 

 d.^avored to take the lead in usf ful iroprovements, and 

 cmulaie each other in all good things, they would be reci- 

 procally subservient to the pcosper-ty of their neighbors, 

 wit'iout hurting their own. There would be more iiap- 

 pi;:ess for all individuals, and more people to ejijoy it. 

 So much for a dream ! I come to the samples of your 

 flock. 



" I have, in my collection, samples of all English 

 wools ; yourRyeland is comparable to most of the Spa- 

 nish wool of commerce; but the improvement is evident 

 in the cross ; the half Ryeland half Spanish, has all the 

 qualities of fine Spanish wool. There is one quality, 

 which is peculiar to the prime Leonese, viz. an extreme 

 softness, joined with strength and elasticity. All your 

 samples seem to partake, in a high degree, of that quality; 

 and it is peculiarly remarkable in the cross of Rycland.§ 

 Now 1 susiiect it may be partly owing to the rubbing of 

 ochre, after the Spanish fashion; I was led to think so by 

 observing a reddish tinge §§ in your samples, which I 

 suppose to have been v, ashed on the back, and by re« 

 membering that you bad countenanced that method. — 

 Be so good as to tell me whether it was so or not? I 

 take the hberty of sending here inclosed, a sample in the 

 yolk, of one of my best rams. 1 have not yet met with 



§ ll was (0 this wool that, witliin ten days after the recriptnf this letter, the jjremiums were 

 a.'juil.pd, by the Conin>ittne of the BatJi and West of Ejigland Socii;iy. 



§j Tbj cu ..moo colour of th" soil NoUiin^ has been ruhbcd iii. A trial was made, tlirec yearj 

 ago, OD ao;ne Ryela.^d sheep, in onl-T to nrove wheth-r oclirc timiled, in any desrce, to sive a soft- 

 ness to tiie wool ; but it appear.d to h.ivv i contrary effcC, if any. No trace of such .i |ir.-ctic« 

 cojidbe disi-.jircred .iinoiif the 6h«pii -r.l-. in Sp.iin. as has been stated; yrl in sonm pans it may 

 prevj.il. Some fl»eces. brou;;ht from Sp in i:. ISuO, were analizi d by Dr. Oaniett. and ro oi-l.re 

 could be discov'ered. M i. .« yric ,i ;rc<-s iii the disusa of ochre, and considers it i.s apapplicati- 

 on to preydut hii jjtinj ttaax blisHriog, in tlie sun, wimeJi^te'y f.-v: iutuius , ia uo ..ij.r v.»/- 



