10 The Shepherds' Guide, 



Merino, whose fleece is not only remarkably fine, 

 but the fine wool is more equally spread over his 

 whole frame ,* and the weight of the fleece is 

 greater in proportion to his size than that of any 

 breed known ; his forehead, cheeks_, belly, and in 

 general, though not universally, his legs, down to 

 his very hoofs are covered with wool. 



Mr. Laysterie informs us,that in the year 1801, 

 the Rambouillet flock yielded on an average 7 

 lbs. 8 oz. of unwashed wool ; that some animals 

 yielded 12 lbs. and one in particular 16 lbs. of wool 

 unwashed, and that he had seen in Sweden rams 

 that yielded 13 lbs. But we know that this wool 

 will lose from one half to three quarters before 

 it is fit for the manufacturer. Sir Joseph Banks 

 informs us that the average weight of the fleeces 

 of the ewes and wethers of the King of England's 

 flock, in the year 1 799, was but little more than 3 

 lbs. 3 oz. after being washed on the sheep's back, 

 and that this wool suffered a farther loss of near 

 one fourth by being properly scoured ; so that the 

 average of perfectly clean wool was not more 

 than 2t lbs. In speaking, therefore, of the weight 

 of the fleece, we must not only be careful to dis- 

 tinguish between washed and unwashed wool, but 

 we must likewise remember that a great differ- 

 ence exists between wool fit for the manufacturer 

 and that which by a slight washing is freed only 

 from some of the superficial dirt on the surface of 

 the fleece, whilst much of the yolk is still left in it. 



