LETTER 
From Professor Brownell to the Hon* Robert 
R. Livingston, on the subject of Merino 
Sheep* 
Union College , Nov. 10 th y 1810. 
Dear Sir, 
Constant occupation has prevented me from paying 
earlier attention to your letter of the 24th Sept.—I am hap¬ 
py that you considered the specimens of English wool, and 
Lord Somerville’s treatise on sheep, worthy of your accept** 
ance. 
Your observation is doubtless correct, “ that if it be a fact 
that the merino wool degenerates in Britain it will become 
a more important object to us ; not only for the supply of 
our ow'n wants, but as an article of exportation.” 
Agreeable to your request I shall subjoin a few observa¬ 
tions on the subject, in addition to what I have already statedj 
While in London, I had the honor of being admitted to 
the sittings of the British Board of Agriculture, through the 
attention of Mr. Pinkney, who is an honorary member of it? 
and the politeness of Sir John Sinclair, its President. The 
question of the deterioration of merino wool in Britain, was 
much discussed by the members, with great diversity of 
opinion. This circumstance, together with the interest the 
subject would otherwise have excited, determined me to be 
minute in my enquiries during my subsequent tour through 
the kingdom. In passing through the district of country in 
which almost all the finest cloths are fabricated, I made 
particular enquiries on this subject of every manufacturer 
in the vicinity of my road. Their general testimony was 
that merino wool degenerated in Britain^ both in fineness and 
softness* I regret much that I had not an opportunity of 
seeing Messrs. Sheppard and Lloyd of this district, who are 
eminent clothiers, and who are extensively engaged in 
