A MERINO BUCK.-SHEARING SHEEP 
they are brought to the highest state of perfection 
for the London market. Whether in the half fat 
state in which they are driven south, or when fit 
for the London butcher, they command a price for 
their weight, above that given for any other cattle. 
Their being polled renders them far less liable to 
injury in the yards than those with horns; and 
they are considered unequalled in their capability 
of quickly taking on fat, while their beef is that 
which brings the highest price in London. 
Your correspondent wants polled dairy cows. 
The English breed would better suit him. They 
are known as Suffolk duns. It is generally be¬ 
lieved they are from one of the Scotch breeds, 
which having long been carried to that part of 
England for fattening, some of the Suffolk breeders 
had either adopted them or crossed their own breed 
with them, thus obtaining a polled stock, which are 
somewhat larger, and possess qualities as dairy 
stock, superior to the Scotch. They are chiefly 
roans, or light colors, though known under the 
general term of duns —and this at one time was a 
very common color in the Scotch breed, though by 
selection and care they are now almost entirely 
black. The wild catjle from which it is thought 
these three breeds have sprung, are white, with 
black ears and muzzles. 
A MER1J' 
One of the finest oxen I ever saw in Great Bri¬ 
tain, was a cross from a Galloway bull and West 
Highland cow, the latter a horned breed. He was 
polled, and exhibited at the great cattle show in 
London, when the crowned heads were there in 
1815, and took the second prize, the first being 
given to a Devon ox, of enormous size, but wanting 
in fine points. 1 do not think any Suffolk cattle 
have ever been imported into this country. For 
dairy purposes I have, no doubt they would be 
found superior to the Durham, now so much in 
fashion; and if this notice should lead some of your 
enlightened readers who may be in the habit of im¬ 
porting cattle, to make themselves acquainted with 
the valuable qualities of the Suffolk duns, 1 think 
they would be encouraged to make a trial of them, 
and that great success would attend their introduc¬ 
tion here. 
I have never met with superior polled cattle in 
this country, and as it was in regard to such that 
your correspondent inquired, I hope some of your 
numerous readers may be able to give information 
on this point. What I have stated may either in 
whole or in part enable you to fill some spare corner 
of your next number, as notes from 
April 13, 1846 An Old Grazier. 
BUCK. 
Merino sheep were first 
known in Africa. They were 
introduced into Spain and 
Italy in the early part of the 
first century ; but whether 
they produced as fine fleeces 
then as now, and were other¬ 
wise as valuable, is a matter 
of great doubt. The first im¬ 
prover of them was Don Pe¬ 
dro II., king of Arragon, early 
in the 13th century; and after 
him, Cardinal Ximenes, prime 
minister of Spain. The French 
government also deserves great 
credit for its improvements of 
this valuable race of sheep, 
the royal flock at Rambouillet 
having steadily increased in 
its average weight of fleece 
since they were introduced 
there from Spain, and the 
quality of the fleece at the 
same time has been much im¬ 
proved, especially in its gene¬ 
ral evenness. The introduc¬ 
tion of these sheep into America, and their breed¬ 
ing since, is so familiar to our readers, that we need 
not dwell upon the subject. For a valuable series of 
articles on the Merino in Spain, see our last volume. 
SHEARING SHEEP. 
Of those who can shear a large number in a day, 
and perform it skilfully, there are very few; but 
nothing precise can be stated, as it depends entirely 
on the breed. If they are Saxons or Merinos, or 
grades of these breeds, it will be very safe to say, 
from twenty-five to forty, taking the average of a 
flock; the grown sheep fewer than of yearlings. 
In general terms, it may be said that he is a good 
i workman who will accomplish about the largest 
j number, cuts the wool with one clip of his shears, 
and not in twain, as one shearing too fast is apt to 
do, shears even and close without cutting the skin, 
and holds his sheep in those positions both easy to 
it and himself. 
The following instructions may be followed, in- 
i tended for the novice :— 
Supposing that the floor of the shearing-house 
has previously been thoroughly cleaned, the pound 
containing the flock littered with straw—the shear¬ 
er proceeds to bring his sheep upon the floor 
