4i2 History of the Author's 



Lord Somerville; and that of his Majesty is finer than the original pile of the 

 Negrette flock in Spain. The same is true with regard to some of the sheep in 

 France, and especially of those of M. Charles Pictet. I should also here adduce 

 the example of the Saxon wool, which, as I have before observed, tlie concurrent 

 testimony of manufacturers now places in a superior rank to the primitive Spanish, 

 were I not strongly inclined to suspect that a considerable part of it is wool of 

 the mixed breeds. 



When, however, I compare the wool of my Merino-Ryeland sheep of the fourth 

 cross wiih the best wool of the Negrette pile from Spain, and observe its general 

 superiority to that pile, without any such care as seems to have been bestowed by 

 the superintendaius of the Rambouillet flock, and by Pictet, I cannot help con- 

 ceiving this effect to be owing to the mixture of the two breeds. 



In order to demonstrate to the Board the farther improvement which has 

 arisen from a careful admixture of animals of the fourth cross, I beg leave 

 to call their attention to the following articles. No. i is the Refina wool of the 

 original Merino ram of the late Marquis of Bath. No. 2 is part of that of his 

 Merino-Ryeland grandson, through a ram and ewe of the same, or fourth cross. 

 The rest of the Refina was purloined by the shearers, each of whom was ambitious 

 of having a part of so fine a fleece. No one can, for a moment, doubt of the supe- 

 riority of this wool to that of its pure progenitor. This fact is so clear, that it does 

 not even require the evidence of sight. By putting the hand into the respective 

 bags in the dark, we shall find the latter, comparatively with the former, rough, 

 harsh, and unyielding. No. 3 is a piece of wool-dyed blue broad cloth, manu- 

 factured by Mr. Naish, of Twiverton, near Bath. Though it has never undergone 

 the hot-press, I request the Board to observe its smoothness and silkiness, its change- 

 able lustre, together with its thinness and flexibility, yet solidity of texture. I appeal 

 to every member, or to any manufacturer or draper whom they may choose to con- 

 sult, whether any piece of woollen cloth, superior to this, has been, to their know- 

 ledge, exhibited in this or any other country. And yet, according to the report of 

 the manufacturer, no more care has been taken in its fabric than ought, on all 

 ©ther occasions, to be employed by every person jealous of his own credit. I am 

 sorry that I cannot speak so highly of the good qualities of the white casimir. 

 No. 4, manufactured by the same gentleman. The chief reason of its comparative 

 inferiority is that the wool of the legs, head, and tail, consisting of less than one- 



