100 FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
kept French Meriuos, I gave them much the same 
care they had in their own country, and found them 
to thrive and breed and weigh and shear as they did 
there, almost. The long winter and the necessity of 
feeding dry food so many months, told upon them 
somewhat. They are good breeders and nurses, often 
having twins and rearing them well. As a cross upon 
our usual type of Merino, I consider them very valu- 
able, but quite unfit for the general use as a stock 
sheep* of our farmers at present. With a better hus- 
bandry and improved shepherding, they may one of 
these days take their place among us as a breed; but 
now their crosses are what we must look to. I have 
no data that I can lay my hand upon of weights of 
fleece or carcass, nor of measurements. I sold my 
whole flock some six years ago to J. D. Patterson, of 
Westfield, who has now no doubt the finest sheep of 
this breed in the country.”+ 
It will be observed that there is a hint of the want 
of adaptation in these sheep to our climate and com- 
mon systems of husbandry in all the preceding com 
munications from the most noted breeders of them, 
except Mr. Patterson, and he would seem to make 
the same admission by implication in a letter which 
is to follow.t It may, therefore, be assumed to be a 
conceded and settled fact. 
Another point seems equally clear, that the inferior 
sheep of the variety are not like inferior American 
Merinos, still hardy and still valuable, but almost 
utterly worthless. This is a disadvantage which al- 
* This letter was dated January 18, 1862. 
+ By stock sheep I mean the main body of a flock, 
¢ Perhaps I should hardly use the word “admission,” for Mr. E. L. 
Gage, of De Ruyter, informs me that Mr. Patterson makes no secret 
of such views. If he did not state them explicitly to me, it was be- 
cause he was not questioned. 
