No. 120.] 213 



remained ; the other half were presented by the King to a pro- 

 prietor, M. de Chauorier, who placed them on his farm at Croissy, 

 four leagues from Paris. My father was twenty-seven years of 

 age at this date; he visited the flock soon after its arrival, and 

 each succeeding year, to satisfy himself in regard to the acclima- 

 tion of the flock, and to compare the produce of wool and flesh 

 with the native breeds. After satisfying himself that our climate 

 agreed with this fine wooled race, and that they offered a greater 

 inducement and advantage from the extra product of wool, as 

 well as their flesh, compared with the then existing flocks of 

 France, he purchased a buck and eight ewes at Croissy, in 1800, 

 at the first sale. The ram was four years old, weighed one hun- 

 dred and twenty-four pounds,* and carried twelve pounds of 

 wool; the ewes averaged nine pounds in its pure unwashed state. 

 He bought yeailyTrom two to four sheep, until 1810; in 1811, 

 fifty ewes and five ram lambs. In 1818 the whole flock of Croissy 

 were sold, fifty-five of the ewes to my father, who paid on aver- 

 age from 120 -to 300 francs. At Croissy the pasturage and hay 

 was of a better quality, and more suitable for sheep than at Ram- 

 bouillet. The sheep were superior, and for this reason, my 

 father made all of his purchases at Croissy. 



In 1821, he bought one ram at Rambouillet. Notwithstanding 

 these two flocks^'were of the same family, he obtained a great 

 advantage in alliance of blood, as there had been a complete 

 separation for 35 years; up to 1827 be bought five rams from 

 this branch , at this date, ceded to me his flock, which numbered 

 two hundred and nine ewes^of three years and upwards, and one 

 hundred and seventy-six ewes one and two years old, and ninety 

 yearling rams. In 1832 I bought fifty-five ewes at the public 

 sale at Rambouillet, and since then have bought a few ewes and 

 two rams to mix the blood with my flock, always choosing my 

 reproductors among those which carried the greatest quantity of 

 wool of the best quality. By this means I have increased the 

 fleece upon my whole flock. The ewes, many of them, yielding 

 eighteen pounds,! and the rams^twenty-four pounds. Our com- 



•One hundred and thirty-eight pounds Engliah. 

 t Ttrentj and tventj-serea poonda English. 



