WOOL AND WOOL STAPLING, ETC. 42 1 



acquired, as well as of another uncommon and valuable kind 

 presented to the Society by Lord Sheffield. In the course 

 of a single year from its institution, the British Wool 

 Society possessed by presentation or purchase above 800 

 sheep, natives of all countries. Of these 555 were dis- 

 tributed over Scotland and the north of England, being 

 either sold or lent for the purpose of experiments. The 

 remainder (245) were stationed as follows : — 



At the Society's Park at Bowbridge, 



At Dalkeith Park, 



In Tweeddale, ... 



On Cheviot Hills, 



On Cramond Island, 



At North Merchiston, 



101 

 20 



30 

 22 



70 



2 



245 

 Mr Ramsay of Barnton gave the Society the free pastur- 

 age of Cramond Island, and the Earl of Moray offered the 

 Island of Inchcolm for the same purpose, both islands 

 being excellently adapted for the Shetland breed of sheep. 



On Friday, ist July 1791, the British Wool Society 

 held a sheep shearing competition at Newhall's Inn, near 

 South Queensferry, at which sheep of various breeds were 

 exhibited, with specimens of their wool. In Sir John Sin- 

 clair's Life, it is stated that at this festival all the company 

 wore pastoral decorations of various sorts ; that the process 

 of shearing was performed by rival clippers from all parts 

 of the country ; and that a collation followed, at which the 

 Chairman's toast, ' The Royal Shepherd of Great Britain, 

 and success to his flock,' was answered by a salute of 

 twenty-one guns from the Hind frigate, then at anchor in 

 the Frith. 



Several farmers, as well as the Chairman, visited the 

 pastoral districts of the south and north of Scotland, and 

 the principal counties of England, for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining the state of sheep farming. On completing its 

 mission, the British Wool Society was dissolved. 



The dissolution of the British Wool Society induced 

 the Highland Society to resume its attention to the im- 



