1 42 Essay on Sheep. 



Custis, however, presumes that much larger 

 fleeces are obtained from other sheep, particu- 

 larly from the Smith's Island and the Arling- 

 ton. It is possible that Mr. Custis has drawn 

 this inference from not having seen the im- 

 proved Merino breed, and perhaps in this 

 view his deduction may be less erroneous; but 

 from the account I have given, on the best au- 

 thority, of the flock at Rambouillet, it appears 

 that they carry heavier fleeces of fine short wool 

 than the Arlington breed do of long wool. I 

 infer this from the letter of Mr. Foote, which 

 is contained in the pamphlet: from his ac- 

 count five and a half pounds of wool, of about 

 twelve inches in length, is the average of ewe 

 lamb's wool in the first year, when the fleece 

 is always the heaviest; because, instead of one 

 year, it is generally of fourteen months growth. 

 Mr. Lasteyrie, in his report to the National In- 

 stitute in the year 1802, states, that the medium 

 weight of full grown nursing ewes was eight 

 pounds seven ounces; of the ewes of three years 

 old which had no lambs, nine pounds thirteen 

 ounces; and two-tenths ewes, ten and a half 

 pounds. Now, making every allowance for the 

 greater quantity of dirt contained in flocks kept 

 as those in France are, I think we may state 

 their weight as at least equal to those of Mr. 



