Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 185 



and the specimens I now exhibit to you (numbering 628) represent 

 the animals belonging to the principal stock sheep- folds in all the 

 circuits, and in nearly all the counties ; so that the cabinet may be 

 considered as presenting a fair view of the existing state of sheep- 

 husbandry in Saxony. 



Saxony is the smallest kingdom in Europe ; containing, according 

 to some writers, 5300, and according to others, 5640 square miles ; 

 having, for its area, about one-eighth that of Pennsylvania, and about 

 one-eleventh that of Virginia, yet it is said to maintain 25,000,000 

 sheep. They export annually an immense quantity of wool, and 

 their own manufactories of that article employ 25,000 people. 



To be perfectly satisfied that their sheep are of a very superior 

 kind, and that their wool is of the finest sort, you have only to ex- 

 amine these specimens, and compare them with the samples of fine 

 wools brought by Mr Fleishman, from most parts of Europe, at the 

 instance of the Federal Government. 



How did Saxony become possessed of this inestimable treasure ? 



According to the celebrated agriculturist, M. Thaer, Germany, 

 before the introduction of the merinos, had three varieties of sheep ; 

 neither of which were held in high estimation. In 1765, Augustus 

 Frederick, then Elector of Saxony, procured from Spain, 200 merinos, 

 which he placed at Stolpgen, in the county of Hayn, and circuit of 

 Dresden. Against this innovation, popular prejudice at first ran 

 high, but it gradually subsided with the progress of experiment ; and, 

 in 1777, so much had these sheep risen in public estimation, that 

 the elector determined to import 300 more. The agent sent to 

 Spain could procure only 110, and of these many died during and 

 soon after the transportation ; but they, like those previously ob- 

 tained, were selected from the best Spanish flocks ; and then com- 

 menced the celebrated establishments of Rennersdorf, in the county 

 and circuit of Bautzon and of Lochmule, in the county of Nieder- 

 forchheim, in the circuit of Zwickau. It was upon this compara- 

 tively slender foundation that the art of sheep-breeding was erected 

 in Saxony. But it could never have attained its present great cele- 

 brity, but for the rigid observance of the rule, in breeding, to keep 

 these merinos entirely separate from all other sheep ; their blood 

 was, by this means, preserved pure ; no mixture of them with either 

 of the pre-existing races being allowed, on any pretence whatever. 

 And to this day, the Saxon sheep-breeder will not permit one to 

 lose sight of this important fact; in proof of which I call your at- 

 tention to this clause in the letter of Mr V. Kirchen, the farmer of 

 the stock sheep-fold of the Duke of Parma, in the county of Dres- 

 den, called " Weistropp," which accompanies these 16 beautiful 

 specimens, — •" These sheep are the descendants of the original im- 

 portation from Spain of 1778."" 



I consider this collection of specimens of Saxony wool as a practi- 

 cal illustration of my theory of sheep-breeding and fine wool-grow- 



VOL. LVI. NO. CXI. — JANUARY 1854. N 



