175 
p.ir. Randall’s merino, sheep. 
MR. RANDALL’S MERINO SHEEP. 
Mr. Bingham, in his reply to m} r remarks in 
yonr Feb. No., does no injustice to my motives in 
instituting the comparison I did between the Ram- 
bouillet flock purchased by him of Mr. Collins, and 
that of Col. H. S. Randall of this place, though he 
finds a different reason for the liberty I took, than 
the one which actually influenced me. I did not in 
the least design to disparage the former. But Mr. 
B. cannot be unaware that comparisons have been 
before instituted between these flocks, that Col. R. 
invited Mr. Collins to show some of his sheep 
against an equal number of his own at Pough¬ 
keepsie, in 1844, and that a spirited correspondence 
took place on the subject in the public prints. I 
will do Mr. C. the justice to say, that his declining 
to show did not prove the inferiority of his sheep. 
Breeders are not bound to accept challenges of this 
kind. But I mention the fact to show that I was 
not so far wanting in courtesy, as to single out a 
particular flock to compare with Col. R.’s, without, 
as I supposed, finding my warrant for so doing in 
circumstances of public notoriety. 
The weights heretofore published in the Agricul¬ 
turist of Rambouillet fleeces referred to by Mr. B., 
have been invariably, I believe, of unwashed wool. 
This is a poor test, certainly, if any test at all. 
Wool ordinarily loses from one-third to one-half in 
washing, and it might be so dirty as to lose far 
more. There can, therefore, be no approach to 
certainty by any such criterion. Mr. B. will doubt¬ 
less give us better data to judge by the present year. 
Mr. B. says—“ Doctor Emmons is doubtless a 
good geologist, and meant to make a fair trial of 
the samples, but how much does he know about 
wool and sheep ?” 
The editor of the American Quarterly Journal of 
Agriculture was bred a Connecticut farmer boy, and 
for one who has made agriculture a “ secondary 
matter,” is supposed in this State to be very fami¬ 
liar with the subject in all its branches. Else 
greatly did our Executive err in entrusting to his 
hands the volume on Agriculture in our magnificent 
“ Natural History,” one of the noblest monuments 
of New York greatness. Thus much to vindicate 
Doctor Emmons from the imputation of presumption 
in speaking of these matters. But, after all, a 
ractical or theoretical knowledge of agriculture 
as very little to do with the simple experiments of 
testing with optical instruments and weights the 
diameter and strength of wool. 
And now to Mr. B.’s inquiry, “ How was the 
exact diameter of each specimen ascertained—by 
guess-work, by measurement, or by counting the 
number of fibres constituting the cord to be broken 
by weights.” 
The strength of fibre was ascertained by attach¬ 
ing minute weights to a single one until it broke. 
This was repeated a number of times, and the mean 
or average weight which fibres of each variety of 
wool would support, was given as the test of 
strength of that variety. The diameter of the fibres 
was ascertained by an optical instrument of great 
magnifying power, throwing (like the camera lu- 
cida) the image cf the wool on a measured scale. 
This instrument, an elegant and expensive one, de¬ 
signed for this express purpose, is a perfect test 
oi the superficial size of any minute object submit¬ 
ted to it. If Mr. B. desires any more minute ac¬ 
count of this experiment, he will find it, with draw¬ 
ings of the wool (of Col. R.’s prize ram, Mr. Col¬ 
lins’ Grandee, and various others) in the first vol 
of the Amer. Quar. Jour, of Agriculture. 
So far as fineness is concerned, Mr. B. will see 
that the evidence is conclusive in favor of Mr. R.’s 
prize ram, and against Grandee. 1 On the subject of 
strength, Mr. B. suggests that the wool of Grandee 
might have “ lost strength by age, repeated hand¬ 
ling and pulling, and the wear and tear of being 
carried in some wallet in some man’s pocket till 
half of its original strength was probably gone.” 
I have seen part of the specimen from which 
Doctor E. selected. He received it from an honor¬ 
able source. It was understood by me to be recent 
wool, and had never been carried about in any 
man’s pocket, and evidently had been submitted to 
no injurious treatment. Every serration showed the. 
original, and it gives me pleasure to say, beautiful 
character of the wool. 
The wool from the Merinos of “ early importa¬ 
tion” was “ old.” I doubt whether this would 
much affect its strength, if preserved with care. I 
have never known a wool or cloth buyer particular 
about the age of the article, provided it was in 
proper condition. I state the fact, however, let 
each one draw his own inference. The sheep re¬ 
ferred to, were those imported by Seth Adams into 
Massachusetts, and were not, that I am aware, 
Rambouillets, as Mr. B. erroneously infers I meant 
to intimate. The specimens tested were given, I 
learn, by Mr. Adams to Sanford Howard, Esq., 
junior editor of the Cultivator. 
As to the length of leg of the Rambouillets, 1 am 
still constrained to differ with Mr. B. The best 
judges in this country consider them decidedly in¬ 
clining to this fault. 
Mr. B. says I am largely the ownef of American 
Merino sheep of a very similar character to Mr. 
Randall’s. Is Mr. B. sure of this ? Has he £een 
Mr. Randall’s flock ? He bases this supposition on 
the fact that Mr. R. has purchased sheep in Ver¬ 
mont which he has highly commended to the pub¬ 
lic. There is a family of Merinos in Vermont—the 
most common one claiming purity of blood—with 
heavy carcases and heavy medium quality and 
rather uneven fleeces, and to this family I have been 
led to suppose Mr. B.’s belong. Col. R. purchased 
some such, but soon got tired of them. He now 
breeds an entirely different quality of sheep, with far 
finer and evener fleeces, and is attempting, and ap¬ 
parently successfully, to preserve the weight of 
fleece of the Vermonter, with a fineness approach¬ 
ing to the Saxon. By far the best ram in my opi¬ 
nion now owned by him, was bred by himself, and he 
unites these qualities in a very remarkable manner. 
I do not-wish to be understood as classing all the 
Vermont Merinos with those above alluded to. 
Col. R. has some of the best ewes I ever saw from 
Vermont. But they differ most palpably from the 
common stamp which I have described. 
As for the exhibition of fleeces proposed by Mr. 
B., I cannot say what Col. R.’s views would be. I 
am not authorized to speak for him in the premises. 
Cortland Village, April 2, 1846. L. 
P.S. Since writing the above I have been at the 
pains to see Col. R., to obtain his views in relation. 
