For ysa-rs-the qaesjl'iQnpf wool (which has always been 

 a most serious matter) was one of great moment with the 

 statesman who had to deal with the agricultural trade and 

 the industries of France. The kingdom produced then very 

 little fine wool. The province of Roussillon only furnished a 

 small quantity, due, no doubt, to an early importation of 

 Spanish sheep. Spain alone supplied the wants of France, 

 and with a view of becoming independent from foreign 

 importations, Louis XVI., acting on the advice of Daubenton 

 and Tessier, both scientific men of great experience, obtained 

 from the King of Spain leave to introduce into France a 

 flock of Merino sheep of the purest blood and finest wool. 

 This flock, consisting of 42 rams, 334 ewes, and seven leading 

 sheep, left Segovia on the i5th of June, 1786. The King of 

 Spain's orders were that the sheep sent be of the choicest 

 kind, and producing the very finest wool. They were 

 selected in the province of Leon, and descended from the 

 following races : Perales, Parella, Paulor, Negretti, Ercurial, 

 Alcolo, San Juan, Potago, Iranda, Salazar. The breeders 

 from whose farms the sheep sent to France were selected 

 made it a point of honour to select the most remarkable 

 animals in their possession. Out of the lot, 318 ewes, 41 

 rams, and the seven leaders reached Rambouillet on the 

 I2th of October, 1786. From that date the Rambouillet stud 

 farm has never ceased to hold the highest rank for sheep. 

 The various directors of the farm, who, in succession, have 

 had its management, have always had the same object in 

 view, and adhered to the same principle selection and 

 maintaining with strict care the prevention of any mixture 

 of foreign blood in the stud flocks. For this object the Park 

 of Rambouillet was from the outset surrounded by high stone 

 walls, in order to prevent any contact with surrounding 

 flocks. The first lambing took place in 1787. From March, 

 1787, to September, 1790, 192 ewes were gifted by order of 

 the King, 30 were sold, reducing by 220 ewes the stud flock. 

 Nevertheless, the number of births was kept up at a mean of 

 1 88 for 13 years, from 1788 to 1800 inclusive. 



This first attempt to acclimatise the Merino in France 

 was so satisfactory, that when the treaty of Bale was signed, 

 one of the stipulations put upon Spain was that from 5000 

 to 10,000 sheep should be imported into France. This 

 enabled the formation of several other stud farms in the 

 kingdom. Thus, in 1799, Mr. Gilbert, professor and acting 

 director of the School of Alfort, was sent to Spain to select 

 Merino sheep. In July, 1801, 40 ewes and 6 rams were 

 added to the Rambouillet stud. From that date no sheep 

 have ever been introduced into it. 



The Spanish Merino is, therefore, the only breed exist- 

 ing at Rambouillet. It has been improved and propagated 

 there, and has become known as the French Merino or 



