468 Hiitory of the Auibor's 



wider loin, and, consequently, a better hind quarter, than any pure Merinos which 

 I have happened to see, except that particular ram of Lord Somerville, which I 

 have already mentioned. 



This change I attribute to the female, or Ryeland blood, which, in forming the 

 progeny, acts most on the carcase, while that of the male, or Merino, chiefly affects 

 the skin and fleece. This opinion is confirmed by the following facts. 



Of the pure Negrette breed, a very large proportion of the rams is horned, 

 while a few have short snags, and scarcely any are knots, or hornless. On the 

 contrary, of the Merino- Ryelands of the 4th cross, a considerable number have 

 no horns, or only snags; and I am disposed to believe that the proportion of these 

 increases as we breed in and in from the same cross, though from horned rams. 

 Farther ; in breeding from the pure Merino, the ram lambs in carcase take after 

 the father, and the ewe lambs after the Ryeland; and the same thing happens with 

 regard to the fleece ; so that the male offspring, in many instances, obtain pre-emi- 

 nence in fine wool one generation before any of the female. 



These facts shew the respective influences of the male and female in generation ; 

 and as, from what I have stated above, it appears, that the fleece is constantly 

 improving from breeding in and in with the 4th cross, I may hope that at this 

 period I may now be able to attempt a melioration of the carcase by that mode, 

 so as in a very short time to exhibit its effects through a large proportion of my 

 flock. 



In the mean while, I wish it were in my power to give the Board any satisfac- 

 tory information as to the fatting of my sheep. But, in this respect, I have been no 

 better circumstanced than the Spaniards themselves. I am a mere breeding farmer, 

 having hitherto looked only to the extension of my flock, and the improvement of 

 my wool. I have, therefore, cut no lambs, except those which were either evi- 

 dently coarse in their wool, or grossly defective in health or carcase; and I have 

 kept all my finer breeding ewes till 1 1 or 12 years of age, when they were toothless, 

 and dying with old age, and consequent infirmity. By this method I had a chance 

 of lambs, which I wanted; and was tolerably well paid by the fleece for the keep 

 of the ewe. The rams were obviously kept intire for the sake of a greater choice : 

 and none of them were cut till three or four years of age, when they had been found 

 unfit for my purpose, or that of any buyer. It is not, therefore, from such animals 

 as these, that I have any right to decide as to the capacity of my sheep to fatten. 



