Essay on Sheep, 133 



in many other places, by crossing them with 

 long-woolled sheep; and upon this idea I have 

 founded the recommendation I have offered of 

 short-woolled sheep, as forming the best stock 

 wliereon to graft the Merino breed, provided 

 the ewes are large and well made. 



Having mentioned Dr. Parry's concurrence 

 with the French agriculturalists in the opinion 

 that the breed is completely changed in the 

 fourth generation, I should add, that he men- 

 tions one instance in which it was not. This 

 was of a Merino bred on a Cape ewe. But I 

 think this proves nothing, because a Cape ewe 

 has not wool, but hair; and because he had no 

 means to ascertain that the sample shown him 

 had really undergone no other cross. The 

 French agriculturalists say, that however coarse 

 the fleece of the parent ewe may have been, the 

 progeny in the fourth generation will not show 

 it: and, indeed, I have seen, and deposited with 

 the Society of Useful Arts, samples of wool from 

 sheep of every description that could be pro- 

 cured in France crossed by Merinoes, and can 

 discern no dliference between those in the fourth 

 degree and the original stock. It follows then, 

 that any farmer may, in the space of six or se- 

 ven years, convert his common flock into Me- 

 rinoes, with this great advantage, that during 



