The Shepherds^ Guide, 21 



than in any other native sheep, and that he has 

 improved this point so much by judicious cros- 

 sing, that the full-blooded Merino falls behind his 

 Merino Ryela^ds in this respect. 



The following statement by this gentleman, 

 places the advantages of crossing Ryeland ewes 

 with Merino rams in a very clear point of view. 

 A Ryeland ewe weighing sixty pounds, yielded 

 one pound and three quarters of wool, worth two 

 shillings and four pence per pound, four shillings 

 and one penny the fleece : a Merino Ryeland of the 

 same weight yielded four pounds, worth two shil- 

 lings and ten pence per pound, twelve shillings 

 and nine pence the fleece : more than three times 

 the value of its Ryeland ancestor. The difl'erence, 

 when compared w^th either of the best breeds in 

 England was still more considerable on the same 

 weight of carcase ; the Merino Ryeland carried 

 more than five times the value of the South 

 Down, and five and one half times that of Bake- 

 w^ell's celebrated sheep of the New Leicester. 



Lord Somerville makes the comparison on a 

 different principle ; stating the produce in wool 

 per acre, from four different breeds of sheep : 

 South Downs, Ryelands, half-blooded South 

 Dov/n Merinos, half-blooded Merino Ryelands. 

 The South Down and Ryeland sheep carry the 

 finest wool of any of the native breeds of England ; 

 that of the South Down sells at Is. lOd. that of 

 tfie Ryeland at 2s. 2d. sterling per pound. Th.e 



