Agriculture of North Wales. 
583 
The indigenous sheep of North Wales are small and ill-formed, 
yielding only about 1 lb. of wool per fleece per annum. The 
mutton is uncommonly sweet and good ; according to pasturage 
and age they will weigh from 30 to 4.5 lb. per carcass. Mr. 
Davies alludes to the Kerry breed of sheep, but I had an oppor- 
tunity of carefully examining them : I found a cross between 
some of the English breeds and the common Welsh breed in the 
more fertile districts, and on the road from Welsh Pool to Os- 
westry I saw several flocks of Southdowns of good make and size : 
the Southdowns might be introduced with great advantage on the 
drier and more fertile hills, when the dip of the underlying rock 
happens to be at a high angle, the numerous fissures forming 
natural drains to carrv off any undue quantity of moisture. The 
whole of the poorer soils on the extensive carboniferous limestone 
formation are well adapted to the rearing of Southdown sheep. 
The farmers do not smear their sheep as in Scotland and the 
north of England. I was informed that a Scotchman in the 
neighbourhood of Arran Mowddy has introduced the Scotch 
black-faced sheep, and that he was in the habit of smearing them ; 
with what success the introduction has been attended I ,vvas not 
able to ascertain. The wool from the store stocks of the moun- 
tain farmers is of very indifferent quality, being kempy and of 
uneven staple ; this arises from want of food or cold stopping 
the animal's growth : whether smearing would be of advantage 
to the Welsh breed I am not in a position to give an opinion. 
The introduction of the cultivation of flax into North Wales 
would be a great boon ; a great extent of the moderate upland 
soils, especially on the lime-rocks, being peculiarly well adapted 
to the growth of the finest description of flax. Mr. Davies 
states, page 409 of his report — " The late Hon. Thomas Fitz- 
maurice, of Lleweni, in the vale of Clwyd, in order to encourage 
his tenants in Ireland, and to promote the national manufacture, 
received his rents in hrown linen ; which he brought over to the 
bleaching-house he had erected for the purpose, about the year 
1780, near Lleweni, at the expense of upwards of 20,000/., the 
most elegant structure of the kind in Europe. For some time 
about 4000 pieces were annually imported and bleached ; and 
the honourable manufacturer, unmindful of peerage, coronets, and 
noble blood, regularly attended Chester fairs in pei'son, and for 
the time metamorphosed the brother of the Marquis of Lans- 
downe into a linendraper." The same Sir Thomas Fitzmaurice 
erected a handsome Lmen Hall (which still exists) in Liverpool 
for the promotion of the same laudable object, as well as a 
handsome town residence adjoining. Unfortunately for the coun- 
try, the career of Sir Thomas was cut off before he could see his 
designs carried into effect ; had Sir Thomas introduced the culti- 
