14 



Bakewell and Merino Sheep. — Watering Cattle. Vol. V ^. 



For ilie Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Bakewell and Merino Sheep. 



Mu. Editor, — In John Lawrence's valua- 

 ble Treatise on Cntllo, there is a hio-Jily in- 

 teresting account of a cross between the pure 

 JNIerinos and the Bakewell breed of sheep, 

 which appears worthy our serious repard. It is 

 now pretty generally conceded that the grand 

 secret in crossing is to commence with dam 

 the best ; and amongst breeders in Europe, 

 more care is observed in the selection of the 

 male, as to form and constitution, than to size; 

 indeed a preference is given for a small male 

 rather than a large one, compared with the 

 size of the female. Amongst the breeders of 

 pure Devon cattle, but little regard is had to 

 the size of the bull, his points and purity of 

 blood are the objects for which they seek, in 

 rearing large oxen; always choosing, as a 

 matter of the first importance, a cow of large 

 size and capacity for breeding. 



At page r)91 of Lawrence's Treatise, it is 

 said ((juoted from Thompson) " Mr. Hose, a 

 considerable grazier at Alelton Mowbray, has 

 crossed several of his Bakewell or Dishley 

 ewes with a Merino ram, with decisive suc- 

 cess: I lately requested this gentleman to 

 send me a iew fleeces of the wool, which I 

 put into the hands of Mr. Ilawkslcy, inquir- 

 ing what was the present value of such wool? 

 His answer was, ' We will give eighteen 

 pence per pound for two thousand packages 

 to-morrow, and take one hundred packages 

 weekly, by contract, at the same price, lor 

 seven years, certain.' Now this price is 

 nearly twice as much as can at present be 

 obtamed for pure Bakewell wool, and these 

 sheep produce little more than the Merino- 

 Dishleys, for although the Merino shortens 

 the staple, he thickens tlie pile, so that every 

 fleece is nearly double in value. The loss 

 that we are to look for then, is in the car- 

 cass, and this is infinitely less than will at 

 tirst be supposed; it seems indeed to be now 

 very generally airreed, that in sheep, the sire 

 operates principally on the fleece and the 

 dam on the carcass, which is illustnited by 

 Mr. Hose's Merino-Dishleys, they being su- 

 perior in form to any that I ever saw with 

 Spanish blood in their veins, and having lost 

 little, if any, in size. Many Bakewell breed- 

 crs Jiave their whole wool of one, two, and 

 three years on hand, whereas Mr. Hawks- 

 ley's note seems clearly to prove, that one 

 cross with the pure Merino would make their 

 wool immediately saleable, at a great ad- 

 vance of price, for seven years to come, while 

 no deterioration would have taken place in 

 the carcass." Lawrence adds : " The loss of 

 size in the Merino-Dishley cross is a natural 

 result, perfectly independent of the idea of 

 deterioration ; and as to the flesh, nothin"- can 



be better calculated than a Spanish mixture 

 to remove the natural insipidity of Bakewell 

 mutton." 



On the subject of the deterioration of the 

 wool by crossing, and the impossibility of pre- 

 serving its fineness out of Spain, Lawrence 

 says: "I lately exposed the following pat- 

 terns of cloths to one who ought to be as 

 capable a judge of cloth as any man in Eng- 

 land, and who was forn)erly convinced of the 

 utter impossibility of growing fine wool in 

 this country. No. 1, given me by himself 

 two years since, as the finest pattern of clotli 

 London could produce, and made from im- 

 ported Spanish wool. No. 2, *Lord Somer- 

 ville's cloth, manufactured, I believe, in 1606. 

 No. 8, a late and very beautiful pattern of 

 Dr. Parry's Merino-Ryland cloth. The judge 

 instantly threw aside No. 1, as totally un- 

 worthy to stand in competition ! giving the 

 preference to Dr. Parry's specimen : but on 

 a final examination declared that he thought 

 Lord Somerville's pattern somewhat the finest 

 and the fabric most substantial, the other 

 wearing the face of a beautiful lady's cloth, 

 in appearance like those made of Saxon wool." 



Now, cannot we apply the above account 

 of a most interesting experiment to our ad- 

 vantage! It is supposed by some in this 

 country that the wool is deteriorated by cross- 

 ing, the fleece being neither decidedly fine or 

 coarse, and the staple of diflerent lengths, — 

 neither combing or clothing — but here is 

 proof positive, and only one among hundreds, 

 that this is not the fact, and that a great pro- 

 fit is to be derived from a judicious cross with 

 the small Merino ram on the large Dishley 

 ewe. With regard to the flavour of the Me- 

 rino mutton, Lawrence says : " I have never 

 heard any man complain of the quality of 

 Spanish mutton hut he who nevtr tasted it." 



J. L. 



Reasons for Supplying Cattle with 

 Water in their Yards. 



If water cannot be obtained by cattle with- 

 out going out of the yard, they will many 

 times sufler exceedingly for the want of it, 

 rather than go for it in very bad weather. 

 If good fresh water can be had by them with- 

 out going out of the yard, they will drink 

 very much oflencr than in the other case, es- 

 pecially in cold weather. The oldest and 

 strongest cattle will generally go first to 

 water; and when they^have drunk, and are 

 returning, they will meet the young cattle in 

 the narrow snow path, and of course will 

 drive_ them back ; in which case the youngest 

 and feeblest of the herd will have miich trou 

 ble and vexation in obtaining water at all. 



* Lord Somerville's cloth was made from pure Me- 

 rino, grown ill England. 



