MERINO SHEEP IN ENGUIND. 129 



very many who had entertained apparently insurmountable 

 prejudices were bold to acknowledge, the merits of the Me- 

 ripos, and became fully satisfied that neither the climate or 

 herbage of their new home were incompatible with perfect 

 success. Sir Joseph Banks and Lord Somerville were 

 amongst their staunchest and zealous advocates, and the lat- 

 ter duly tested the sincerity of his opinions, by importing a 

 considerable flock of them. 



Thirteen years after the king's importation of the Negrette 

 flock, a public sale by auction was made of Merinos. The 

 rams averaged about fifty dollars per head, and the ewes thir- 

 ty. In 1808, four years after, the prices averaged 130 dol- 

 lars for rams, and 100 dollars for ewes. In 1810 the Me- 

 rinos arrived at the climax of public favor. In this year, at 

 another public auction sale, rams commanded nearly 300 

 dollars per head. " One full-mouthed Negrette was sold for 

 over 800 dollars, and another, for nearly 700." 



A Merino Society was instituted in the following year, at 

 the head of which was placed Sir Joseph Banks, with fifty- 

 four Vice Presidents, and local committees were established 

 in every county in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. 



Mr. Youatt observes — "No more striking instance can be 

 produced of the fallacy of human expectations and judgment, 

 than the establishment of this society. From this period is 

 to be dated the rapid decay of the Merinos in public estima- 

 tion." After a passing tribute of just praise to the breed, he 

 proceeds to say, " In Great Britain, neveitheless, ~ where 

 the system of artificial feeding is carried to so great a de- 

 gree of perfection — ^where the sheep is so early and so pro 

 fitably brought to the market — that breed, however it may ulti 

 mately increase the value of the wool, can never be adopted, 

 which is deficient, as the Merinos undeniably are, in the prin- 

 ciple of early maturity, and general propensity to fatten." 



Other reasons for the abandonment of the Merinos are 

 given by Mr. Flint, a distinguished agriculturist. He says 

 " I always thought the speculation of cultivating the Me- 

 rinos a decidedly foolish and unprofitable one. We can con- 

 sume all the coarse wool we grow, and more if we cojiild get 

 it ; and taking carcase and weight of wool together, the long- 

 \<'ooled sheep is more profitable by far' than the Merino. Be- 

 sides, if the English breeds were to any considerable extent 

 superseded by the Merinos, the price of that wool would 

 fall, and long wools would rise ; and iie advantage of grow- 



