]2B Essai/ on Sheep. 



me to build much upon it, since my sheep were 

 only introduced in 1802; but as far as it goes, 

 it leads me to believe in the amelioration of the 

 sheep, either from the effects of climate, or from 

 attention. The original stock were chosen with 

 very peculiar care in France, after the most 

 careful examination of their descendants; they 

 have improved in size, beauty of form, and 

 quantity and quality of the fleece. The two 

 first improvements are too obvious to admit of 

 the least doubt; the last requires so nice a dis- 

 crimination as to make the decision more diffi- 

 cult in all but one instance, where the difference 

 is so striking as to be evident to every observer. 

 I refer to a ram lamb of the last spring, who is 

 out of an imported ewe, while his sire (who is 

 also by the same dam) was bred upon my farm. 

 This lamb is of the most uncommon size and 

 beauty; his fleece, compared with that of any 

 other of my improved sheep, or with any 

 sample that I have been able to obtain of others, 

 is indisputably much finer, and, at the same 

 time, so long and abundant, that I have little 

 doubt of his yielding at least eight pounds of 

 wool the first shearing.* I imported the summer 

 before last a very fine ram, whose fleece has, by 



^^ He lias been sliovn since tliis v.ei.t to tlie press, and gave nine pounds six 

 ounces of woof. 



