FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 103 
bred towards the French until they obtained about 
fifteen-sixteenths of that blood, and now find the cross 
best the other way. One of the last of these crosses 
now appears to promise extremely well.* 
While the breeder of pure blood American Merinos 
has no occasion, in my judgment, to change them by 
a cross with any other variety, I at the same time be- 
lieve that the owner of the mixed French and Ameri- 
can varieties has no occasion to despair of obtaining, 
at least, a most excellent and valuable sub-variety, if 
his crosses are judiciously made. There is a “‘debata- 
ble land” between the mutton and wool producing 
regions where these crossed sheep, or where the full 
blood French sheep may prove the most profitable 
variety. Even the latter demand no more feed or 
care than the high-bred mutton varieties; they are 
probably about as good nurses ; and they will yield a 
large quantity of meat, and meat of a quality which 
always commands a ready sale in our markets. Their 
annual product of wool would be far more valuable 
than that of any mutton variety. Their want of early 
maturity, as I shall presently show, would be no ob- 
jection to them in such situations. 
In France, where both mutton and forage are 
worth twice as much as in our country, the French 
Merino holds its ground against the best long and 
middle wooled sheep brought from England. 
It has another valuable place to fill, namely: on 
farms where surplus capital keeps up high systems of 
husbandry, is lavish in erecting structures, and em- 
* Particularly the get of a choice old ram known as the “ Lucius 
Robinson” ram, one of the best sire rams ever got by the “ Old Robin- 
son”’ ram. 
