20 



APPENDIX, No. II. 



fine-wool'd fheep, provided a proper plan is followed for 

 that purpofe. 



No. 11. 



Memorial concerning the Improvement of Highland Wool, pre- 

 fented to a Committee of the Highland Society of Edinburgh^ 

 June 8. 1790. By James Anderfon, LL. D. 



THE wool of Great Britain was, for many sges, the 

 fineft in Europe, and, as fuch, it fold at the higheft price 

 in the manufacSluring diftrifts of the Netherlands and Italy, 

 Many are the treaties on record concerning this important 

 branch of commerce, and various are the regulations and 

 political events to which it gave birth. At that time, Spa- 

 nifli wool, though valuable, held only a fecondary and very 

 inferior rank in the mercantile world \ and it was only after 

 the efFefls of many injudicious legiflative regulations in Bri- 

 tain began to be felt, which, by finking the mercantile 

 value of wool, made the carcnje an objeft of principal con- 

 cern to the farmer, that Britifli wool was gradually negle(Sl- 

 ed, and the wool of Spain began to obtain an afcendency 

 over it. At the prefent time, Spanifh wool is of a finenefs fo 

 far fuperior to that of England, as not to admit of a com- 

 parifon : The confequence is, that the fineft cloths, which 

 in every part of Europe ufed formerly to be "made of Britifh 

 ysrool, are now univerlally made of Spanifh wool entirely ; 

 and England, which, in confequence of that fuperiority, e- 

 ftabliflied an unrivalled woollen manufacture, is now obli- 

 ged to depend entirely on Spain for what fhare in this ma- 

 nufadlure that proud and rival power fhall be pleafed to 

 permit. At prefent, Britain pays to Spain on an average 

 of years about 6oo,oool. per annunt for wool alone, though 

 her exports oifiiie wooUcn cloths are greatly dimiiiifhed. 



Thefe 



