€9 APPENDIX, Nc. V, 



No. V. 



Direclions Jor feleciing Sheep i?t the Woi-thern and IVeJlern 

 IJlands of Scotland. 



TO affifl; thofe who, from the foregoing coniiderations^ 

 fhall be inclined to felecl a particular breed of fine-wool- 

 led fheep, for the fake of experiment, among the Northerr^ 

 or Wellern Iflands, the following particulars are recom- 

 mended to their attention. 



I/?, As the finenefs of the pile, and the foftnefs of 

 the texture of the wool are, in this cafe, the peculiari- 

 ties chieflj wanted, thefe are the circumflances that 

 ought to be adverted to, as of the moft effential import- 

 ance. No other particular, therefore, fliould counter- 

 balance a fupericr degree of finenefs of pile, in any cafe. 



'id, But in cafe two fheep are found which are entirely 

 equal in thefe refpe(Ss, that one which has the feweft 

 hairs through the fleece ought certainly to be preferred ; 

 for although thefe hairs may be feparated, as the natives 

 of Shetland experience, by letting the wool rife entirely 

 from the Ikin, without being Ihorn ; yet in large flocks 

 that practice would become extremely inconvenient, and 

 the neceffity of having recourfe to it fhould be guarded 

 againft. 



3<^, If finenefs and purity are equal, that fheep which 

 has the clofell pile, or thickeft fleece, fhould be pre-, 

 f erred. 



4//3, If finenefs, purity, and clofenefs of pile, be equal, 

 prefer that which has the greatcft uniformity in the tex- 

 ture of the whole fleece. 



5?Z', All the above named particulars being equal, the 

 general fhape and figure of the animal ought to influence 

 the choice : A round compact body, a full and deep 



chefl. 



