52 Essay on Sheep, 



any country, to effect the most important im- 

 provements. It would be tedious and unne- 

 cessary to enter into a minute enumeration of 

 all the varieties produced by different crosses, 

 and other accidental causes in a kingdom which 

 contains such a variety of soil and climate as 

 Great-Britain, and in which the farmers have 

 endeavoured to conform the breed to their situ- 

 ation; and the rather, as I have already no- 

 ticed many of them in a paper read to and 

 published by the Society of Useful Arts. An- 

 derson divides the native British sheep into 

 three sorts; the Highland breed, or rather the 

 breed of the Western Islands, those in the High- 

 lands being so far adulterated as not to be found 

 in their original purity. These sheep, though 

 delicate in appearance, are small and hardy. 

 The wool is distinguished by a silky gloss to 

 the eye, and a peculiar softness to the touch. 

 It is not frizzled like the Spanish, but rather 

 longer, and gently waved. When compared 

 with the best Spanish wool in the London mar- 

 ket, it was found to be finer in the proportion 

 of seven to five. Stockings have been made of 

 it at Aberdeen that sold at five and six guineas 

 a pair. The wool of this breed, however, is 

 either naturally, or by adulteration, very much 

 mixed with hair or jar, so as to render the se- 



