214 [Assembly 



mon practice has been to use no ram till well matured, say two 

 years old, and not allow the ewes to drop any lambs till three years 

 old. We have thus improved the form and size of our flock, 

 which inherit a stronger "constitution. 



No American gentleman visited us previous to the 11th May, 

 3846. We then had the pleasure of seeing Mr. J. A. Taintor, 

 of Connecticut, to whom I sold two rams and seven ewes. Since 

 then I have yearly made shipments of a few bucks and ewes to 

 Mr. Taintor, who has made my sheep prosper in the States as 

 they do in France. I have also had the satisfaction of receiving 

 a visit from Mr. Isaac de Forrest, of New- York, Mr. Sanford of 

 Orwell, and Mr. S. W. Jewett, of Middlebury, Vermont. The 

 latter purchased of me, in 1851, eighty-two ewes and eighteen 

 bucks. In 1852, 1 sold him ninety-four ewes, and to deliver in 

 1853, 1 have sold him ninety ewes. I have also had a visit from 

 Mr. Howard and Mr. Parker, of Ohio, to whom I was not able 

 to sell any sheep this year or next, to their great regret. 



From the various essays made by my father to ameliorate the 

 Merino race, and those which I have continued to effect on the 

 same principles, we arrived at this conclusion, that in order to 

 improve the breed it was necessary to let them graze on good 

 land, preferring dry to wet, and renew the blood of his flock 

 every five or six years. If a longer time expires before you 

 renew the blood, you can maintain the flock in the same quality, 

 but you cannot improve it. 



Before the ewes are fleeced, I assort and separate into as many 

 lots as I have rams, and avoid using rams with any defect, to ewes 

 of the same defect. It is with these means, put in good practice 

 for many generations, that we have obtained the amelioration of 

 our flock. 



It was only in 1844 that I decided upon letting my flock com- 

 pete with others for the prize. Upon this occasion, the Agricul- 

 tural Assembly of Paris, appointed a commission to visit the best 

 flocks of the country. After the commissioners made their re- 

 port, the Minister of Agriculture awarded me the great medal of 

 gold. 



