55 



of climate, aucT yet thrive and retain, with common care, their 

 fineness of wool : an appetite which renders them apparently 

 satisfied with the coarsest food ; a quietness and patience into 

 whatever pasture they are turned, and a gentleness and tract- 

 ableness not excelled by any other breed." 



The Spanish Merinos seem to have been used by the most 

 eminent agriculturists of Europe for the improvement of most 

 breeds found on the continent; although an attempt, made in 

 1787, to introduce them into England by George III. seems to 

 have failed. Experiments were also made with them by Mr. 

 Coke, Sir Joseph Banks, Lord Somerville and others, but not 

 with much success. Mr. Youatt observes: — "In Great Britain* 

 where the system of artificial feeding is carried to so great a 

 degree ojf perfection — where the sheep is so early and so pro- 

 fitably brought to the market — that breed, however it may ulti- 

 mately increase the value of the wool, can never be adopted, 

 which is deficient, as the Merinos undeniably are, in the prin- 

 ciple of early maturity and general propensity to fatten." The 

 Massachusetts farmer will bear in mind the objections here 

 made to Merinos, viz : — That they do not make a profitable 

 return for " artificial feedi7ig," and do not arrive at the " early 

 maturity " so desirable to the breeder and feeder of mutton 

 sheep, as such. And he should also consider whether he can 

 resort to this mode of feeding, to the neglect of his short pas- 

 tures, and regardless of the amount of coarse food which he 

 can economically and profitably feed to small and hardy sheep. 

 He may on this point compare the profitable sheep-husbandry 

 of England with the profitable sheep-husbandry of Vermont, 

 and decide for himself which system is most worthy of his 

 adoption. 



While the introduction of Merinos among the mutton grow- 

 ers of England did not succeed, the experiment was made on 

 the continent of Europe with very general satisfaction. In 

 France, where sheep-husbandry has been very much neglected, 

 and where the native sheep have never reached a high stand- 

 ard, either for wool or mutton, the government made great 



