Thus, animals of the Durham breed, reared in stalls and fed 

 ckiefly on farinaceous substances, if set at liberty in the bush, 

 left to themselves to seek their own nourishment, and forced 

 to be content with whatever they could find, would probably 

 give very poor results; they might, perhaps, die of misery; 

 the same might occur with wool-producing animals of perfect 

 breed and accustomed to great care ; let loose in a run, they 

 would very probably give but little satisfaction ; it is neces- 

 sary, we repeat, to carefully arrange transitions. 



In both cases, the best plan for reaping advantages 

 from imported animals is to create for them, as far as prac- 

 ticable, a state of existence in all points resembling that from 

 which they have been taken to make them the centre of a 

 small herd which will gradually increase, and of which each 

 member, as the development goes on, bends to the exigencies 

 of the existence that has become his, identifying himself 

 with surroundings, henceforward to be those of his race. 

 A small, select flock thus formed becomes, in the hands of a 

 good breeder, a valuable nucleus for improvements. 



You have requested me, Mr.^General Commissioner, 

 to furnish you with my ideas on the Sheep Show ; before 

 submitting them to you, I thought it my duty to place before 

 you a sketch of the fundamental principles of modern 

 Zootechny. 



I examined consecutively each one of the rams ex- 

 hibited among the fine carded and coarse-carded merino wool 

 (Class 647, Sub-classes 103, 4, 5; 109, 10, n), in all, eighty 

 animals. Before saying anything respecting them, I should 

 inform you that I failed to clearly seize the ideas of the 

 organizers of the Sheep Show ; I do not quite understand the 

 object they had in view; was it to have a gathering of a large 

 number of reproducers, so as to allow exhibitors and breeders 

 to judge and compare ; whilst by their decisions the jury 

 would point out to visitors the animals most worthy of at- 

 tention ; or was it in order to induce commercial transactions ? 

 The fact of the Show and of the subsequent sale would lead 

 to the conclusion that such was the double object in view. 



But what is sought for here among these wool- 

 bearing animals ? Is it the meat that is wanted ? Is it the 

 simultaneous production of the two articles ? 



If it is the meat, it appears to me that sufficient im- 

 portance is not attached to the conformation of the animals ; 

 if it is the wool, the same observation applies. 



What is the best conformation for animals destined 

 for the abbatoir ? I reply ; that which increases to its maxi- 

 mum the quantity of meat of the best quality, at the same 

 time that it reduces to its minimum the proportion of waste 

 and meat of inferior quality which the animal furnishes at the 

 slaughter-house. 



