182 
PAULAR MERINOS. 
very choicest blood of the pure, high-bred Trasliu- 
mantes or travelling flocks, such as had never be¬ 
fore been accessible to the world at large, the ex¬ 
portation of those sheep from Spain having been 
interdicted, under the severest penalties, it having 
been from time immemorial the policy of that 
government to prevent the diffusion into other 
countries of her fine-woolled sheep, in which pur¬ 
pose she was a long time strangely and most effec¬ 
tually assisted by the ignorant prejudice existing 
in other European countries, that the superior 
quality of Spanish wool was owing to the pecu¬ 
liar climate of Spain, or to their peculiar method 
of treating their sheep, their long, annual journeys, 
&c., &c., and that the Merinos would not thrive 
out of Spain. And here I am naturally and most 
forcibly reminded of a somewhat similar prejudice 
which has long existed in a portion of our own 
country, but which is now at last rapidly giving 
way; i. e. that the growing of fine wool can not suc¬ 
ceed with us out of the old northern states. This 
notion has assisted for a long time to give the 
northern and eastern states almost a monopoly of 
the profitable business of growing fine wool. But 
there never was a greater mistake: their patent 
for that business is now nearly “ run out,” and its 
advantages are, by the diffusion of agricultural in¬ 
telligence, thrown open to free competition in all 
portions of our country, where they have enterprise 
and spirit to engage in the production of this im¬ 
portant and profitable staple. 
So far from the north and east producing as 
heretofore nearly all the fine wool, the only doubt 
now is, whether they will long be able to stand 
their ground in continuing to grow it at all, in 
competition with the hill country and prairies of 
the south and west. It is now but a very brief 
time since it was asserted and generally believed, 
that fine wool could not be produced on the west¬ 
ern prairies; that fine-woolled sheep would not 
thrive on the natural or wild grasses of the prairies. 
But the fact proves otherwise, and is already ac¬ 
knowledged to be just the reverse. It is the very 
country for growing fine wool. They only want 
arrangements for winter keep, with shelters to 
protect their sheep from the long drenching rains 
and cold storms of late autumn and winter. Then, 
with the right sort of sheep, and the benefit of 
such suggestions as our observation and experience 
will enable us to offer them in the course of these 
papers, they may “ go ahead” with the certainty 
of success. The Merino has thriven and done well 
in all the countries of Europe to which he has 
been transplanted, not even excepting England, 
with her peculiar climate of almost constant hu¬ 
midity. 
The attempt by the English to establish Merino 
sheep, and to produce fine wool in their Australian 
colonies, has, as is well known, been attended with 
eminent success. This is, however, nothing more 
than might reasonably have been expected, with 
a climate such as that is understood to be, for the 
most part dry, and of course in that respect favor¬ 
able to the finer sorts of sheep. From that remote 
portion of the world, England already derives a 
considerable amount of fine wool for her manufac¬ 
tures ; thus serving to render her in some degree 
independent of Germany and Spain, for the need¬ 
ful supply of this indispensable material. 
The introduction of Merino sheep into our own 
country, in the early part of the present century, 
was, as I have already stated, entirely successful. 
They soon became perfectly acclimated, and proved 
a hardy and profitable race in this country. The 
cross of Merino bucks with the native ewes, soon 
became almost universal throughout the northern 
and eastern states, and was eminently successful, 
giving a strong and hardy kind, with good size, 
good quality of wool, heavy fleeces, and excellent 
mutton. After four or five crosses or more with 
a good Merino buck, the wool became in most 
cases nearly or quite as good as the original Span¬ 
ish, and was then quite as fine and good as 
the real wants of the country required, or would 
sustain by adequate remunerating price to the 
grower. The Merinos that we then had, which 
are by many persons now remembered as the “ old- 
fashioned Merinos,” were almost as tough and 
enduring as horned cattle, and could not only them¬ 
selves live, but raised their lambs without diffi¬ 
culty. They were the right sort , in all respects 
exactly. adapted to the wants, necessities, and 
circumstances of this country. Pity it is that we 
could not have “ let well enough alone.” But so 
it was—we did not. After being, as it would al¬ 
most seem by the hand of Providence, supplied 
with and perfectly established in possession of the 
lest, hardiest, and most profitable race of sheep in 
the known world, we, within a brief time, incred¬ 
ible as it may seem, almost wholly lost ©r threw 
them away. 
In this paper, you have seen how and when we 
obtained them. In my next, I will, if you please, 
show how and when they were lost; and if time 
and space then permit, will also point out how 
they may be certainly, speedily, and cheaply re¬ 
stored to the country, in all their former excellence. 
I had intended giving in this or my next com¬ 
munication, a brief sketch or epitome of the history 
of the Merinos of Spain, together with some par¬ 
ticulars of their diffusion throughout most of the 
other countries of Europe. But it must be deferred 
for a time, in order to make room for matter of 
greater present interest. 
June, 1843. Americus. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
PAULAR MERINOS. 
Baton Rouge, La., July 20th, 1843. 
Dear Sir : I well recollect the first Merino sheep 
which appeared in your city. They were landed at 
one of the lower slips, in the year 1810, accom¬ 
panied by their Spanish shepherds and dogs, which 
walked forward, the sheep following them with 
the utmost docility up Chatham street, and out 
into the Bowery. I subsequently purchased a 
small flock of these sheep the same year, at a pub¬ 
lic sale in the old custom-house yard. They were 
declared to be of the Paular breed, and among 
them was a very fine buck, of large size, large 
dewlap hanging several inches below the neck, 
much like Mr. Collins’s Grandee, though not so 
