[ 99 3 
i FEAR, gentlemen, that I have trespassed iod 
long upon your patience, but I confess to you that 
I consider ihe improvement of our flocks by the in¬ 
termixture of this breed, as an important object in 
agriculture, and as one that must form the basis of 
our woollen manufacture. Happily we have the 
means of extending this improvement—Col. Hum-* 
phries has imported from Spain or Portugal a large 
flock of merinos, and I am told, lets out the rams to 
such as may require them. My small flock from 
France, together with those I expect out in the 
spring, will extend the breed to the northern parts 
of the state. Some other gentlemen have rams,, 
and the prohibition upon the export from Franco 
having been taken off* last autumn, more will proba¬ 
bly be imported. Even the half blooded rams will 
contribute greatly to improve our flocks, and of 
these I presume many may now be procured. The 
samples of wool which I procured while I was at 
Paris for your inspection, will shew the* progres¬ 
sive improvement by crossing with all the different 
breeds of sheep that could be got in France ; and 
the annexed drawing will shew the different quali¬ 
ties of wool in the same fleece, and the manner of 
sorting it. The 4th quality however being much 
finer than our first, 
I HAVE also annexed a drawing of one of my 
rams, that you may judge of his form, which by no 
means appears to me defective : tho’ some that I 
have seen directly from Spain are so. The moth- 
