112 
RAMBOUILLET MERINOS 
RAMBOUILLET MERINOS. 
In the February No. of the Agriculturist, 1 have 
read some very interesting statements respecting the 
excellent flock of sheep owned by Mr. H. S. Ran¬ 
dall, of Cortlandville, N.Y., over the signature of L. 
The whole bears internal evidence of the produc¬ 
tion of a fair and high-minded writer, who would 
scorn an act of injustice. I honor the head and the 
heart of the writer, and readily acquit him of the 
charge of wrong intention . I have often heard of 
the sheep of Mr. Randall, and have no doubt they 
are a flock well established, and deserving commen¬ 
dation. # 
In establishing the claims of a good flock of 
sheep, it is a common method to compare them with 
some flock of acknowledged merit. This is all 
well, provided no injustice is done to the one, in 
order to render the comparison between the two 
partial and one-sided. Rut injustice is sometimes 
done inadvertently, and so I apprehend in this case, 
in the references which are made to the Ram- 
bouillets. 
I have not owned the Rambouillet flock long 
enough to give any statements in regard to weight 
and quality of fleece after shearing, from my own 
observation, and your correspondent implies that 
such statements have never been made by any one. 
If he will look into Yol. 2, page 100, of the Agri¬ 
culturist, he will find statements made in this regard 
by the Editor himself. # 
Then as to strength of fibre of Mr. Randall’s 
sheep, as compared with Mr. Collins’ Grandee, as¬ 
certained by Dr. Emmons, the State Geologist, your 
correspondent says: “ The wool of Mr. R.’s prize 
ram decidedly exceeded that of Grandee—the best 
buck of the Rambouillet importation ; and supported 
a greater weight, or, in other words, was stronger 
in proportion to its diameter. It as far exceeded 
various rams of early importation.” 
I should like to ask your correspondent how long 
since the specimen from Grandee was shorn; for he 
has been dead for a considerable time, and I believe 
was last shorn in the summer of 1842. How much 
had that specimen lost of its strength by age, repeated 
handling and pulling, and the wear and tear of being 
carried in some wallet in some man’s pocket, till 
half its original strength probably was gone ? Per¬ 
haps he can tell us how much allowance should be 
made for this, and the operation of similar causes. 
How was the exact diameter of each specimen as¬ 
certained ? by guess-work, by measurement, or by 
counting the number of fibres constituting the cord 
to be broken by weights ? Dr. Emmons is doubt¬ 
less a good geologist, and meant to make a fair trial 
of these samples; but how much does he know 
about wool and sheep? Again, where are those 
“ various” rams to be found “ of early importa¬ 
tions,” against which the strength of fibre of Mr. R.’s 
sheep was tried ? 1 was not aware that there were 
such Rambouillets, or even the wool of such in the 
country. If the trial was with samples of wool 
which had been preserved since the early importa¬ 
tions, it would seem to be desirable that it should 
be known how old they were, in order to know how 
much the experiments proved. I must think the 
tests in these cases very, very imperfect , from the 
nature of things. 
Again, your correspondent says : “ Like the 
Rambouillets, these sheep are of large and fine car¬ 
case, but unlike them, are short in the leg, and the 
ends of the wool are usually coated with a dark 
gum. It is barely tipped with gum, say for one- 
eighth of an inch. Within that and to the skin, the 
wool is a glossy white, and freer from hard gum 
than the Rambouillet.” Did he ever see and ex¬ 
amine my flock of Rambouillets, and rigidly com¬ 
pare it with our native Merinos ? If not, then has 
he ever seen any other thorough-bred Rambouillets l 
I suspect he has not; for if he had, he would not 
have represented them as “ long-legged sheep,” 
and having “ hard gum ” in the fleece, when in truth 
they are sheep of about medium length of leg, and 
are entirely without gum in the fleece. 
I should not have said thus much, had I not found 
that the communication of L. would tend to create 
the impression that the Rambouillet sheep are what 
they are not, and that the public mind might be mis¬ 
led. I am largely the owner of American Merino 
sheep, of a very similar character to Mr. Randall’s, 
as, I suppose, heavy shearers, and I am free to say, 
that I consider the Rambouillet as far superior to any 
Paular, Escurial, Guadaloupe, or other variety of 
American Merinos, while I at the same time honestly 
believe and openly maintain, that we have some 
very valuable American Merino flocks. Mr.R.’s flock 
is doubtless among the number; and he deserves 
great credit for the spirit and liberality which he has 
manifested in establishing if. I am a friend to im¬ 
provement wherever I see it, and I hope I have a 
mind large enough to acknowledge merit wherever 
I find it. I am not in competition with any man, in 
any of my pursuits. My husbandry operations are 
secondary matters altogether, which I pursue at my 
leisure for my own relaxation from study, the 
benefit of my family and the public good. 
I have merely to add, that the only true way of 
testing the quantity and quality of fleece wool, is 
by thorough cleansing by & good manufacturer, and 
the price he will pay for it when it is thus prepared 
for working. For my own part, I am determined 
to test the value of my Rambouillet buck. Grandee, 
and some of the Rambouillet ewes in this way, side 
by side with my heavy shearing Merinos, and the 
public shall haye the result and judge for them¬ 
selves. 
I invite Mr. Randall, and any others disposed to 
try it, to submit their best buck’s and ewe’s fleeces 
to the same test, and let the public know how they 
come out. I give this invitation to all wool-grow¬ 
ers, not as a banter, but in order that in this 
great interest we may find out where we are. This 
is a test that will be perfectly fair, and to which 
none can object, and we shall then know whether 
we are raising wool or not; and whether we have: 
good cause to complain of the low prices which the 
manufacturer is disposed to give-/ for our “ heavy 
fleeces.” L. G. Bingham. 
Williston, Vt., Feb. 13, 1846. 
P.S. It may not be improper to add, that in the 
judgment of most men who examine the Rambouil- 
let flock, they will average five pounds per head of 
clean-washed wool, of one year’s growth, and I 
hope to increase their clip beyond this hereafter. 
