Merino-Rycland Breed of Sbeep. 467 



an uniform degree of nutrition, it is impossible that they can ever exist under the 

 present habits of the Merino race in Spain. Sheep never thrive well on any food 

 when kept together in great numbers. It is also necessary to the economy of these, 

 and various other animals, that, after having finished their meal, they should lie 

 down and rest for the purpose of chewing the cud. As the food is not regularly 

 taken, the stomach in different animals composing large flocks must become full 

 during every different minute of the day ; notwithstanding which, they must at 

 stated hours lake their daily journey of from five to fifteen English miles. By this 

 forcible deviation from the laws of nature, their digestion is impeded, and their 

 nutrition, and consequent growth, is proportionably defective. 



Now I would ask any candid man, whether, under such circumstances as these, 

 continued during several centuries, the South Down, or any otlier of the best 

 native breeds of sheep in this island, could possibly have been in a superior state 

 as to carcase?* I would also appeal to the same person, whether experience does 

 not justify us in concluding, that by the same care in breeding and nourishing, 

 which has been long practised on the South Down sheep, the Merino race itself may 

 not, in a few years, be much meliorated, and, at length, in every circumstance of 

 general usefulness, fully equal those which are quoted in order to disgrace it? 



In this respect very great improvement has already been made by Lord Somer- 

 ville, whose ram. No. 20, must be acknowledged, by the most prejudiced, to have a 

 beautiful form ; t and if the throatiness, or dewlap, which is often found in these 

 sheep, and which is merely a duplicature of the skin, be a fault. Lord Porchester 

 informs me that he has succeeded in entirely getting rid of it. 



In forming my own flock, my view has certainly been to place the finest wool 

 on the best carcase. But, for reasons which I shall hereafter assign, I have thought 

 the two objects incompatible at the same time during the beginning of any set of 

 experiments in crossing these two breeds, and therefore have hitherto confined 

 myself only to the former object, which I have, as yet, by no means fully accom- 

 plished. I have bred indiscriminately from all my ewes, and universally preferred 

 those rams v;hich had the finest fleeces; notwistanding which, my sheep are, in 

 general, shorter in the legs and necks, have smaller bones, a rounder barrel, a 



* It is chiefly a correspondence in principle to the great l.abitofthe Merino race just men- 

 tioned, that is travelling, which has made the Wiltshire sheep probably the worst breed at 

 this day existing in Britain. 



t See a very exact delineation of this ram in Malcolm's Agriculture of the County of Surrey, 



3O2 



