[ 88 ] 
wool will be thought a considerable yield from 
small sheep kept upon hay, in a flock with 20 other 
sheep. It equals the flock at Rambouillet, and ex¬ 
ceeds by a pound the average of the Spanish trav¬ 
elling flocks. My present flock consis’s of two 
full bred rams, and three full bred ewes, including 
the lamb of this year ; eight three quarter bred 
evres, whose f rm and wool is already so like that 
of the imported sheep, that it is difficult to distin¬ 
guish them. If any diifercnce exists it is merely in 
the wool, on the extremity of the thigh, which is 
longer, and I think not so fine as that on the full 
bloods. I have also 18 half blood ewes and weath¬ 
ers, and about 20 country ewes that have run with 
the Spanish rams ; all these sheep are kept togeth¬ 
er, they have a shed that they can go into which is 
open on every side, but the north and northwest; 
they have hitherto been fed with hay only, tho’ I 
shall, just before they lamb, begin to give them bran 
and oats, having no green fodder. If any difference 
is discernable in the flock, it is in favor of the me¬ 
rinos. One circumstance is remarkable, it is that 
the half bred lambs have not only thicker, but lon¬ 
ger fleeces than the common lambs, tho’ these have 
naturally much longer wool than the Spanish me¬ 
rino. This is an important circumstance as k 
shews how necessary it is to cross the breed of 
sheep, with those of a better stock. Should it be 
objected that the object here, is to procure a great 
quantity of w^ool without regard to the quality ; I 
would observe, that this might be true, if our 
