THE MERINO BREED. 145 



can now boast of wool equalling in fineness that of the 

 mountains of Spain. In Bohemia, and almost all the other 

 Austrian States, Merinos have been introduced, and every- 

 where have been seen to equal or surpass the parent stock. 

 In Wurtemberg, Hanover, Bavaria, and other countries of 

 Germany, the same means have been employed with suc- 

 cess, to introduce the Merino race. It has been carried to 

 Denmark and Norway, to Poland and Switzerland, and to the 

 dominions of Russia, especially on the Black Sea, where a 

 climate exists calculated to bring every natural production 

 to excellence. The Merino race has thus been naturalized 

 over the greater part of Europe, from Scandinavia to the 

 Crimea ; and Spain can never more possess the monopoly of 

 a production which had descended to her as an inheritance 

 for so many ages. The experiments shew, that a certain 

 class of characters having been imprinted on a breed of ani- 

 mals, these characters can be preserved under very varying 

 conditions of soil and temperature, by artificial treatment 

 suited to the ends proposed, and by selecting, for the con- 

 tinuance of the race, the animals in which the properties 

 required are sufficiently developed. 



The Merino Breed, which had extended to so many coun- 

 tries of Europe, was at a period more recent introduced into 

 the British Islands. George III., a zealous and patriotic 

 agriculturist, resolved to make a trial of this celebrated 

 breed on his own farms, and means were taken to obtain a 

 small Merino flock. This was done clandestinely ; the ani- 

 mals were selected from the flocks of different individuals, 

 where they could best be got ; and were driven through Portu- 

 gal, and embarked at Lisbon. They were safely landed at 

 Portsmouth, and conducted to the King's farm at Kew. 

 The flock was bad ; the selection had been carelessly or igno- 

 rantly made ; and the animals being taken from different 

 flocks, presented no uniformity of characters. It was then 

 resolved to make direct application to the Spanish Govern- 

 ment for permission to export some Sheep from the best 



K 



