524 History of the Author's 



fndolence and obesity. The evidences of blood iA a bull-dog are very different fronn 

 those in either of the former examples. 



The word blood, then, is nothing more than an abstract term, expressive of cer- 

 tain external and visible forms, which, from experience, we infer to be inseparably 

 connected with those excellencies which we most covet. 



The same principle is equally applicable to Merinos, and their descendants. 

 There is no reason why a good fleece should be connected with a bad form ; and 

 I should presume that a pure Merino is not the more valuable because, at present, 

 he happens generally to have a narrow hind-quarter, sharp shoulders, and flat ribs. 

 Those sheep, whether pure or mongrels, are best, and therefore, in the philosophi- 

 cal and practical sense of the word, have most blood, which combine the finest 

 fleeces with the most approved forms. Experience has shewn that such rams of the 

 mixed breeds, as well as our cross-bred stallions, can transmit to their posterity 

 all their excellencies, whatever may be their names, or from what country soever 

 they may have been derived ; and he, who at this time, in beginning to breed, 

 prefers the best pure Merino ram to the best Merino-Ryeland, will probably find 

 himself eight years behind in the experiment.* 



It is probable, that, in order to obtain sheep with heavy fleeces, those rams 

 should be preferred, which are woolly all over the face, and down to the fore as 

 well as hinder hoofs. 



Some persons have proposed meliorating the carcases of the Merino races by 

 crossing the females with rams of better forms, though of coarse wool. It is clear, 

 however, that that ihey have totally misconceived the effect of this intermixture on 

 the fleece. If the diameter of the filament in the Merino or Merino-Ryeland be 

 as o, and that of the Wilis or Leicester, as above, be 128, then one cross of 

 cither of those rams will bring the wool of the progeny to 64, which is the state of 

 the original Kyeland before crossing with the Spaniard. What then are we to do 

 next? Will the carcase be better than the Rycland? If not, and we proceed to cross 

 with the Merino, we might just as well have commenced with the Ryeland ewe as 

 the basis of our experiment. If, on the other hand, we go on crossing wiih the 

 coarse ram, we are going backwards from the Ryeland as to the fleece. The very 

 first cross of the fine Merino-Ryeland ewe with the Leicester carries us, therefore, 



• From this decision 1 must perhaps except the ram of Lord Somerville, No. 20, which, proba- 

 cy, cannct, at present, be equalled in syitimetry by any ram in England with equally good wool. 



