THE FBENCH MEEINO. 19 



report made to the National Institute of France, ten years 

 afterwards, thus speaks of them : 



"The stock from which the flock of Ramhouillet was 

 derived, was composed of individuals heautiful beyond any 

 that had ever before been brought from Spain ; but having 

 , been chosen from a great number of flocks, in difierent parts 

 of the kingdom, they were distinguished by very striking 

 local difierences, which formed a medley disagreeable to the 

 eye, but immaterial as it affected their quality. These 

 characteristic diflTerences have melted into each other, by 

 their successive alliances, and from thence has resulted a race 

 which perhaps resembles none of those which composed the 

 primitive stock, but which certainly does not yield in any 

 circumstance to the most beautiful in point of size, form and 

 strength, or ui the fineness, length, softness, strength and 

 abundance of fleece. * * * The comparison I have 

 made with the most scrupulous attention, between this wool 

 and the highest priced of that drawn from. Spain, authorizes 

 me to declare that of Rambouillet superior." 



Lasteyrie thus gives their weight of fleeces, unwashed, 

 through a series of years: — In 1Y96, 6 lbs. 9 oz.; 1797, 8 lbs.; 

 1798, 7 lbs.; 1799, 8 lbs.; 1800, 8 lbs.; 1801, 9 lbs. 1 oz. In 

 18t)2, he says: — "The medium weight of fuU grown nursing 

 ewes' fleeces was 8 lbs. 7 oz.; of the ewes of three years old, 

 which had no lambs, 9 lbs. 13 oz.; and two-tenths [grade] 

 ewes, 10 lbs. 8 oz." 



Mr. Tr imm er, an English flock-master and writer of ex- 

 perience, thus described th^m in 1827 : 



" The sheep, in size, are certainly the largest pure Merinos 

 I have ever seen. The wool is of various qualities, many 

 sheep carrying very fine fleeces, others middling, and some 

 rather indiflerent ; but the whole is much unproved from the 

 quality of the original Spanish Merinos. In carcass and 

 appearance I hesitate not to say they are the most unsightly 

 flock of the kind I evfer met with. The Spaniards entertained 

 an opinion that a looseness of skin under the throat, and other 

 parts, contributed to the increase of fleece. This system the 

 tfrench have so much enlarged on that they have produced, in 

 this flock, individuals with dewlaps almost down to the knees, 

 and folds of skin on the neck, like frills, covering nearly the 

 head. Several of these animals seem to possess pelts of such 

 looseness of size that one skin would nearly hold the carcasses 

 of two such sheep. The pelts are particularly thick, which is 

 unusual in the Merino sheep. The rams' fleeces were stated 



