APPENDIX, No. L ,9 



produce, In the fecond or third generation, as fine wool as 

 the original Spanifh breed. 



Thefe obfervations are not only applicable to France and 

 England, but even to Scotland. For M. Le Blanc aiTerts, 

 that the Spanilh breed is fuperior to every other for the 

 ftrength and vigour of the fpecies, as well as for the excel- 

 lency of its wool, accommodating itfelf to all climates, and 

 feeding on any pafrure. Nor does it require more pains, 

 nor a greater quantity of food, to rear and nourifli flieep of 

 a good quality, than of a bad, whilft the wool produced by 

 the former is above four times more valuable than the latter. 

 There are many parts of Scotland, therefore, particularly 

 fuch as are not much incommoded with fnow in the winter 

 feafon, where this breed might be propagated to advantage. 

 It may be proper to add, that, in the opinion of M. Le 

 Blanc and of other writers, there is no fenlible difference, in 

 point of quality, between the wool of the Spanifh flieep that 

 travel from one part of that kingdom to the other, and of 

 the flieep that always continue in the fame place, where 

 equal attention is paid to the breed ; and there is reafon to 

 believe that thofe annual peregrinations, on which fo much 

 ftrefs is generally laid, is owing to neceffity, and the fcarcity 

 of food, in confcquence of the multitude of fheep that are 

 kept together, and not from any idea that a change of 

 pafture, or any continuation of the fame temperature or cli- 

 mate, is at all elTential. 



Thefe obfervations are not perhaps immediately con- 

 nected with the original fubject of the Report, namely the 

 iheep of Shetland. But they were thought too material to 

 be omitted, and they corroborate the principle therein fta- 

 ted, that the quality of the wool depends upon the breed, 

 and not upon the foil or climate j and farther proves in how 

 fliort a fpace of time 100 rams and 1000 ewes of the befl: 

 breed, with the affiftance of a proper number of ewes of an 

 inferior quality, might replenilh the Shetland Iflands with 



fine-wool'd 



