330 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



particularly familiar with them, says, " almost all the fleeces 

 of the rams, from two years old and upwards, weigh (un- 

 washed) from 12 to 13 Ibs. ; but the mean weight, taking 

 the rams and the ewes together, has not quite attained to 8 

 Ibs., after deducting the tags and the wool of the belly." The 

 French pound is about one-twelfth heavier than the English; 

 but from the general custom of folding the sheep in France, 

 feeding them in fallows, and wintering them in houses, the 

 fleece becomes very dirty. The loss in washing (fit for man- 

 ufacturing) is abou; 60 per cent., so that the clean fleece of 

 the ram will average about 6 Ibs., and that of the whole 

 flock, something under 4 Ibs. 



The first importation of the Rambouillefs to this country, was 

 in 1801, by M. Dellesert, of Paris, for M. Dupont, then in 

 New- York, and consisted of 4 choice rams, only one of which, 

 Don Pedro, reached this country. He was used among the 

 native ewes near Kingston, N. Y., for three years, and then 

 transferred to Delaware, where he effected great improvement 

 among the native flocks. The second was that made by the 

 late Chancellor Livingston, before alluded to. There was ano. 

 ther in 1840, by Mr. Collins, of Connecticut, comprising 30 

 select ewes and 2 rams. All these sheep possessed the cha- 

 racteristics peculiar to the variety as described. A still more 

 recent importation has been made by Mr. Taintor, of Con- 

 necticut, (during the present summer of 1846,) of 23 ewes 

 and 3 bucks.* 



* We subjoin a description of these from the Editor of the American Agricultu- 

 rist, New- York. The rams, though young, are the most promising animals of 

 their breed we ever saw, and when full grown, will weigh at least from 2 - i5 lo 

 250 Ibs. each. The sire of one was sold the past season for $500. He slieared 

 23 Ibs. of unwashed wool To give an idea of the ewes, we measured them after 

 they were shorn, and found they varied from '25 to 29 inches in height over the 

 withers; and lest it may be thought this superior height, is attained by extra long 

 legs, we will add, that the height of the under side of their bodies from the ground, 

 was from 9^ to 12 inches; which, according to our observation, is no greater in 

 proportion to their size, than that of good American Merino sheep. Their weights 

 we took after being shorn. They varied from 124 to 153 Ibs. Some of them were 

 quite thin in flesh, the largest especially, which, if in tine condition and her fleece 

 on, would weigh at least 200 Ibs. The following is the weight of their. fleeces un- 

 washed. We took them ourselves in the presence of several witnesses, and as fast 

 as shorn from the ewes' backs The scales we used did not mark less than one 

 quarter of a pound, which will account for the absence of odd ounces. 



No. 17 13 Ibs. No. 100. 12 J Ibs. 



109 107 



The fleeces were about fourteen months old, but they had lost some on their 

 voyage out, and on account of the lateness of the season, were not shorn near as 



