Essay on Sheep, 167 



recommendations which I wish to inspire. 

 " Mr. Arbuthnot, of Bath (formerly a woollen 

 '* manufacturer), is fully convinced of the prac- 

 •* ticability of equalling Spanish wool in Eng- 

 ** land ; he has for several years tried the Spanish 

 *' cross with the Wiltshire breed, nearly trebling 

 " the wool in quantity, and improving it ex- 

 ** tremely in quality. The carcasses are reduc- 

 " ed in size, but improved in the mould, and 

 " the disposition to fatten increased.'* I quote 

 this from Lawrence, who also adds, that in 

 England Mr. Toilet had gone very successfully 

 into the bree-ding of Merinoes, getting his stock 

 from Lord Somerville. He mentions a tup of 

 his that was adjudged, at thirteen months old, 

 to weigh twenty pounds the quarter, for whom 

 he refused two hundred guineas, and one hun- 

 dred for his hire for a season. He then states 

 the effect of his crosses, in the first degree, on 

 South Down and Ryeland ewes, and makes the 

 average increased value eleven shillings and 

 six-pence sterling per fleece, or 150 per cent, 

 advance upon the wool on one cross only. 



The following opinion of Mr= Toilet merits 

 great attention. He judges tliat an acre of land 

 which will keep three South Down sheep, si- 

 milar to our best sheep, would be sufficient to 

 k©ep four Merinoes. The produce in wool oi 



