APPENDIX, No. IV. 63 



expendve for him to preferve that pure breed, in the 

 prefent iltuation of things, fi-om being contaminated, by 

 intermixing with others, as has been fullj proved above — • 

 both which circumflances mail greatly diminiili his pro- 

 fits, Ihould he attempt to profecute this improvement ; — 

 not only do thefe things Hand perpetually in his way, as a 

 powerful bar to his exertions ; but, were they even re- 

 inoved, and were he actually to become polTeiTed of wool 

 of a very fine quality, it will be long before he can have 

 it in his power to availhimfelf of that advantage, or to de- 

 rive a profit from that wool, proportioned to its intrinfic 

 value. 



It has been already remarked, that very fine wool is 

 aftually at prefent produced in fome remote parts of 

 Scotland, and its ifles ; but that this wool, from the ig- 

 norance of the natives, is often applied to very inferior 

 ufes ; and a ftronger proof of that cannot be afforded, 

 than the experiment now under the eye of the Gentlemen 

 of this Society. Some pairs of Shetland hofe, that were 

 bought in Edinburgh at 5^ d. per pair, and which proba- 

 bly were fold at firfl hand at or below 3 d. v/eighing, 

 each pair, about half a pound, have been untwifted, fo as 

 to difcover the materials of which they were made. 

 This wool confills in part of a very coarfe fort indeed, 

 refembiing hair ; but a confiderable proportion of it 13 

 very fine wool, of an exceeding foft texture, which a 

 manufaclurer, who mull be a judge of that matter, de- 

 clared would be worth 4 s. the pound, were it en- 

 tirely freed from the coarfe wool with which it is inter- 

 mixed. Suppofing, then, one half of it to confift of that 

 fine wool, Vv^e would here have at leall i s. worth of fine 

 wool given away Jhr ?iothing j for undoubtedly ^the 

 workmaiafnip, and the remainder of the coarfe wool, is 

 worth more than the price for which the Itockings were 

 originally fold. When fuch is the way in which fine 



wool 



