220 



the animal as aiu thing can be ; 

 and it is very far removed from a 

 good practice to shout at and rate 

 a horse for no particular fault. A 

 naturally timid animal is liable to 

 lose its head on such occasions, 

 whilst a bad-tempered one resents 

 it, for horses are not fools, and 

 are far more amenable to kind- 

 ness combined with firmness than 

 they are to ill-usage or violence 

 of any kind. This being the case, 

 it is unfortunate that their mem- 

 ories should be so good, for the 

 recollection of chastisement has 

 often transformed an 'ordinarily- 

 temi>ered horse into a perfect sav- 

 age, and a good reliable worker 

 into a useless brute. Ul course, 

 horses can be spoiled in many 

 other ways, but it is believed tliat 

 causes mentioned above are respon- 

 sible for most of the losses in- 

 curred bv owners through the de- 

 terioration of their animals. — Live 

 Stock Journal. 



♦ 



The Merino in America. 



Sheep farmers in Australia have 

 never concerned themselves very 

 much over the doings of thtir rival 

 of Amerira both have a com- 

 mon origin, and each has in turn 

 adopted a variety of ideas for im- 

 proving upon the original stock. 

 So far as is known all the fine- 

 wool sheep in the world are de- 

 scendants fjTom the merinos of 

 Spain, where they have been bred 

 from time immemorial. There is 

 no occasion to concern oneself re- 

 garding the introduction of the 

 merino into Germany, France, or 

 ICngland, when the object n view 

 is to trace the origin of the 

 merino in America. In 1801 a 

 Mr. de Lcssert imported the first 

 Spanish merino sheep into the 

 vState of Xew York. The shipment 

 consisted of four, and of these 

 three died before reachinir land. In 

 the same year, a few months later, 

 a pair were imported from Franc*e, 

 a modified form of Spanish 

 merino, and unive.-sally known as 

 the Raml)ouillet sheep. In the fol- 

 lowing year an American doing 

 duty as Minister to France sent 

 over four pure-blood Spanish 

 merinos to his farm on the Hud- 

 son River. In the same year the 

 American Minister to Spain 

 brought home 200 Spanish merinos 

 with him. In 1809 and 181 1 the 

 Minister to Portugal sent home 

 large flocks to his home in Ver- 

 mont. 



By the year 18 12 as many, as 

 20,000 Spanish m.erinos had been 

 brought to America and distribut- 

 ed through the New Ivngland and 

 middle States. These sheep were 

 procuned under very favourable cie- 

 cumstances, as the Spanish Gov- 

 ernment had confiscated the es- 

 tates of four Spanish noblemen 

 for political oflences, and the 

 American buyers coidd select the 

 best bj- Paying the price de- 

 manded. 



By this means America becamie 

 possessed of some of the very best 

 blood of the Spanish llocks. LJnder 

 g-'enial conditions of soil and cli- 

 mate, and through the great care 

 that is naturally bestowed upon a 

 new acciuisition, the American 

 merino was gradually improved in 

 both frame and fleece. Fuliv^rowu 

 rams weighed from 120 to i8a lbs., 

 and ewes about 40 lb. less. The 

 wool maintained its wonted fine- 

 ness, but the density was increased, 

 heavy folds of the skin being es- 

 tablished about the neck. The 

 growth of wool was encouraged all 

 over the carcass from nose to 

 toes. The form was improved, 

 the legs shortened, and the back 

 broadened at least one-third. As 

 wool and mutton producers the 

 breed has been immensely im- 

 jjiroved. The American claims for 

 his merinos that they are tne best 

 in the world. This is not the 

 only product regarding which he 

 crows in the same keynote. So 

 long as he confines comparison to 

 tlva French merinos, or Rambouil- 

 lets, which i>roduce a long, straight 

 combing wool, on a long, leggy 

 carcass, the chances are that Bro 

 ther Jonathan is correct. Whien, 

 however, he starts out to beat the 

 world, he has got a dillerent class 

 of article to reckon with m Aus- 

 tralia, and a comijmrison of por- 

 traits of the two types does not 

 place Australia second. 



American merinos have in the 

 liast suffered much in the ups and 

 downs in the prices of sheep and 

 wool. Droughts and other ]>eace- 

 ful imbroglio have oftimes played 

 Ijattliedore and shuttlecock with 

 Australian merinos. Never, ho^y■ 

 ever, has the industry been mo- 

 lested by a local war. In 181 2, 

 however, in America, when the 

 British fleets were blockading the 

 ports, there was a tremendous rise 

 in the price of wool and sheep. 

 Wool was sold for 10/- per lb., 

 and sheep at a correspondingly 

 high ])rice. Speculation in merino 

 sheej) ij-an wild, some rams and 

 ewes selling for £200 apicce. When 

 the war 'ended in i'8i5 the bubble 

 burst. The American markets 



were immediately flooded with 

 cheap wool and woollen cloths , 

 the price of sheep fell to 4/- pei 

 head, and wool was corresponding- 

 ly low. The sheep-raising business 

 which had been unreasonably stim- 

 ulated by the war and by specula, 

 tion sustained a fearful setback, 

 The reaction was greater than the 

 situation called for, and many 

 farni'ers ga\-e up raising sheep a1 

 a time when they should havei re- 

 mained in the business. It is stated 

 that the great manufacturers o) 

 woollen cloths in England sent 

 agents through the sheep-raising 

 regions of America and bojught all 

 the sheep they could find, slaught 

 ered them, sold the meat for;, what 

 they could get, and took home 

 only the pelts. 



In America to-day, just as in 

 Australia, there are some distinct 

 types, or sub-breeds, of merinos 

 which are rivals with each othej 

 for popular favour. This spirit of 

 rivalr}' is ever for the benefit ol 

 the breed, as it promotes Improve- 

 ment and prevents deterioration 

 There is a type known as the Dick- 

 son merino, sprung from 200 head 

 imported in 1802 by the Minister 

 to Spain. These have been bred 

 with absolute purity, and are now 

 in the hands of more than a hun- 

 dred successful breeders. These lat- 

 ter have formed an association and 

 a studbook, in the records of which 

 there are now more than six 

 thousand pedigrees, tracing back 

 to the original stock. This breed 

 prod,uces a beautiful standard De- 

 laine wool from 4 to 5in. long, 

 with a soft, glossy fibre, clean, 

 and well crimped. The breed is 

 hornless, and the mutton is good. 

 It has fair size of frame, the rams 

 weighing 200 Pj. in ordinary con- 

 dition and 5oll")S. miore when fat. 

 The ewes weigh about 150 lbs. 

 The fleece in the grease weigus fai 

 rams from 20 to 30 lbs., and foi 

 ewes 15 to 20 lbs. A good sort 

 of article as viewed through Aus- 

 tralian spectacles.— Elder's Review. 



NATURAL GUANO 



From Indian Ocean now landing ex 

 " Hebe." Analysis Nitiogen J per 

 cent ; Citrate soluble Phosphate of 

 Lime 13.11 per cent.; Insoluble Phos- 

 phate of Lime 50.25 per cent. Price 

 70/- per ton delivered to rail, or 'fi ee 

 on boaixl at Port Adelaide. 

 Samples on application. 



ARTHUR H. HASELL, 



Lipaon Street., 

 POBT ADELAIDE. 



