128 



BRITISH BREEDS. 



tremadiira, on the borders of Portugal ; and this, at that 

 time, was a sort of smuggling transaction, as no Merinos 

 could be sent from any Spanish port without a license from 

 the king ; therefore they were obliged to be shipped from 

 Lisbon, The sheep were hastily chosen from different 

 flocks and various districts, and consequently exhibited but 

 little uniformity, and not fully the true character of the breed ; 

 the king, therefore, soon disposed of them to others. 



Subsequently, it was determined to make a direct applica- 

 tion to the Spanish monarch for ])ermission to make a selec- 

 tion from some of the best flocks. This was promptly 

 gTanted ; and a small number was taken from the Negrette 

 variety, then deemed the most valuable of the migratory 

 sheep. This flock arrived in 1791, and was immediately 

 placed on the king's farm. 



From ignorance, they were at first badly managed. Hav- 

 ing been placed on a moist and luxuriant soil, many soon 

 became affected with foot rot, and others died from attacks 

 of liver rot. This calamity was a triumph to the prejudiced, 

 but a change to dryer pasture proved a remedy, which soon 

 led to a change of opinion in their favor. In a short time it 

 appeared that they were no more subject to diseases than 

 British sheep. 



Crosses took place with several varieties of the native 

 breeds, with various success. Doctor Parry crossed with 

 the Ryeland, the most superior short-wooled sheep in Eng- 

 land, and the fourth cross produced a wool equal to pure 

 Merino. 



Mr. Coke, the renowned English agriculturist, also expe- 

 rimented on both the Ryelands and South Downs, and af- 

 firmed that the cross with the latter was superior to that of 

 the former. It was but a few years afterwards, that he ex- 

 pressed the following opinion, in an address before the Me- 

 rino Society, at Holkham : — " I feel it my duty," said he, 

 to state my latest opinion of the effects of the cross of a part 

 of my South Down flock with Merino tups, and I wish it 

 could be more favorable. From the further trial which I 

 have made, (this, the fourth year), I must candidly confess 

 that I have reason to believe that, however one cross may 

 answer, afarther progress will not prove advantageous to the 

 breeder," This opinion of Mr. Coke should be duly consi- 

 dered by every American breeder. 



But, sometime antecedent to this decision of Mr. Coke, 



