1 40 Essay on Sheep. 



year, and progressively more every year as he 

 teformed his stock. 



The second objection to the Merino is the 

 high price of his wool, which Mr. Custis sup- 

 poses can only be adapted to the use of the 

 rich, while the low price of the common wool 

 j5ts it for general consumption. If Meruio wool 

 can be raised as cheap as that from common 

 sheep, it comes at least as cheap to the grower, 

 and therefore he may wear a coat of fine wool 

 at no greater expense than one of coarse cloth; 

 and there can be no sort of doubt that if it 

 is manufactured exactly as the other, tlie 

 coarse cloth made from fine w^ool will outlast 

 two made from harsher materials, and, at the 

 same time, be warmer. If blankets and flan- 

 nels arc a domestic manufacture, both these 

 articles will come as cheap to the growlers of the 

 wool as if made from the long-wool led sheep, 

 and certainly will be infinitely warmer and 

 lighter. If a man*s land is such as to bring him 

 a good crop of wheat, he certainly will not sow 

 rye or buckwheat, but will prefer wheaten 

 bread for his family; or, if he is an economist, 

 he will sell his wheat and buy rye. Is it not 

 exactly the same with Merino wool? If he is 

 in easy circumstances, he will manufacture it, 

 and sell the excess beyond what he wants for 



