170 I Assembly 



sheep appear to have existed in the time of Moses, and are the isheep 

 mentioned in Leviticus, viii., 25, 9, 19. If the Institute will have 

 the work translated as regards the sheep from Dr. Pallas's work, and 

 other researches made about them, it will form a v.ery interesting 

 essay. These sheep in their fat alone when killed will pay more 

 than the whole produce of any of the sheep we now possess, and a 

 single cross of the fat rumped ram must lay on a layer of fat. These 

 sheep Weigh 150 lbs. Whether Mr. Bake we 11 got the fat of his 

 sheep by such a cross I cannot say, but there is no doubt it can be 

 done. One thing we may congratulate ourselves in, our country 

 sheep being free, when properly placed, from the host of diseases 

 they are subject to in Europe. Virgil in his Georgics mentions the 

 foul diseases sheep were subject to. In our prairies, after a strict 

 inquiry, I find the sheep are subject to no disease, though neglected, 

 ill-treated, and half starved in winter. I would wish to make a few 

 remarks on this head, but am warned to close. The United States 

 labors under two fatal prejudices which prevent her progress in fine 

 wool and sheep raising. The mass of the people w-ill not eat mutton, 

 and they prefer a coarse wool to make their clothes of. A gentle- 

 man says he got a backwoodsman's wife to buy some grade wool 

 who made her husband's clothes. She was asked a long time after 

 as to the result. She replied, " It makes just this difference ; when 

 I made my husbands' clothes from the coarse wool, two suits last 

 him a year; when I make them of fine wool three suits last him two 

 } ears." There is a work much needed, which perhaps at the sug- 

 gestion of the Institute some scientific man may write. Re-write the 

 natural history of the sheep, follow no old errors, do him the justice 

 he merits; write the history of all the original breeds of sheep in the 

 whole world, from the Argali down to the Zetland sheep, the smallest 

 in the world, unless the Shetland. Give beautiful portrahs of each 

 original breed; say nothing of the varieties until the original pure 

 breeds are disposed of; let it be copious, mmute, correct. 



( PAPER A. ) 



Wool Matresses, the best material and the only one that ought to be 

 used for bedding for all ages and for all ranks. The object of this 

 paper is to prove that Wool Matresses make the cheapest and most 

 economical bed that can be made, for men, women, and children, for 

 all ages and sexes, and that a man recovers much sooner from fatigue 

 on such a bed, than on any other. 



