SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 267 



inlerior to the full-])loocI Merino in anything, save that it does not transmit 

 its good qualities with quite so much certainty to its offspring* 



Let us now proceed to inquire what are the points which constitute ex- 

 cellence, or mark a departure from it, in the class of Merino sheep which 

 I have attempted to show form, in every point of view, the most suitable 

 variety to commence wool-growing with in the South. What should be its 

 size, weight of fleece, shape, general appearance, style of wool, &c. &c.? 



Size, within extremes, is not, per sc, a matter of much consequence. — 

 There should, however, be uniformitij in this particular, at least through 

 the same flock, not only for their good appearance, but larger sheep are 

 apt, by their superior strength, to crowd away small ones from the rack or 

 trough. A sheep very small of its breed and family, is commonly less hardy. 

 If very large, it must travel farther tof.ll itself ; and, therefore, this would 

 be an objection to it in a breed designed to graze on short and scant pas- 

 turage — for the extra exercise thus made necessary would cause it to waste 

 (in the form of carbon, in the lungs) a considerable portion of the food, 

 vv^hich would, under other circumstances, be converted into animal tissues. 

 Very large, like very small animals, of the same species — and, I am in- 

 clined to think, the former more frequently — lack the robustness, vigor of 

 muscle, capacity to endure unusual and protracted exercise, or privation 

 of food, or any other unfavorable deviation from ordinary habits, possessed 

 by compact medium-sized animals. This rule will be found to apply among 

 all domestic animals. Lastly, I am not prepared to prove, but I believe 

 that, with the same breeding, the woolly, like the osseous and mviscular tis- 

 sues of a large Merino sheep, will not be as fine as those of a smaller one. 

 I do not found this opinion, so far as wool is concerned, upon, nor do 1 

 claim that it is supported by, any analogies. I state it as solely the result 

 of individual observation. If it is a tendency which can be successfully re- 

 sisted, I never have been fortunate enough to have a sufficient number of 

 instances brought under my eye, in any one flock, to have them constitute 

 anything more than sparse exceptions to what I deem a well established 

 rule. I have never known a family of very large Merinos bearing anything 

 better than medium wool ; and the first step to any decided improvement 

 in them immediately reduces their weiofht, for it can only be effected by 

 interbreeding with finer and smaller families. Ewes weighing from 80 lbs. 

 to 90 lbs. alive, in good fair store condition, are of about the proper size, 

 in my judgment, where fine wool is the object.t Rams should weigh 40 

 lbs. or 50 lbs. more. Ewes of the large Merino families weigh fiom 100 

 lbs. to 110 lbs. — the rams 50 lbs. more; nor do even these equal the size 

 of some of the late imported French Merinos. 



A relation analogous to the preceding one, exists between the weight of 

 the fleece and its quality. This point has already been sufiiciently set 

 foith on another page. The opinion is there expressed that the Merino may 

 be easily bred, by judicious selection of sire and dam, to bear 4 lbs. of fine 

 wool, or wool equaling ordinary Saxon. I would now add that, as a gen- 

 eral rule, and in large flocks, I do not believe more than this can be ob- 

 tained, without a depreciation ii.i the quality, among ewes. The ram's 

 fleece should in all cases, in a very superior animal, be about double that 

 of the ewe. Five per cent, of the live- weight of the carcass, with ewes, is 

 the maximum weight of fine wool, which we can, in the present state of 

 breeding, look for with any uniform certainty. This would give a fleece 

 of 4 lbs. to 80 lbs. of live-weight-. As the fine-wool Merinos increase, and 

 thus give a wider range and better selection of materials for nice experi- 



* The latter point wil! he more ])articularlj- adverted to in a subsequent part of this Letter. 

 t Saxons wei'^h about 20 lbs. less. 



