140 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
unmixed, and at the same time, by crossing the two flocks, have a 
third flock, combining generally the properties of both flocks, hut 
occasionally showing the characteristics of one of them. At the 
introduction of the Saxons, I procured some valuable bucks, and 
by crossing them with pure Merinos, acquired a fourth flock, 
and consequently have had, for the last ten years, four dis¬ 
tinct flocks, viz: Pauluar, Escurial, Pauluar and Escurial mixed, 
and Saxon united with Merinos. These four flocks have ac¬ 
quired great perfection by my unremitted attention to the selec¬ 
tion of breeders, the Merino at this time carrying a much finer 
fleece than in 1810, as is apparent by contrasting the present clips 
with wool shorn in that year. There is very little difference in the 
fineness of mv Saxon and Escurial fleeces ; these last are somewhat 
heavier, with a staple more e'astic. The Escurial has a greater re¬ 
semblance than any other Merinos, both in form and fleece, to the 
Saxons that I have seen, and is probably the Spanish flock from 
which the most approved Saxons originated. The Pauluars are 
more compact in form, have heavier fleeces, and are constitutionally 
the most hardy of all the Merino race. I omitted to say that I had 
also, when I begun to grow fine wool, three other pure Merino flocks, 
viz: the Nigretta, Equiroz and Montarco; but after a few years’ 
experience, I gave a decided preference to the Pauluar and Escurial, 
and discarded the others. You have now a concise description of 
my kinds of sheep; and 1 will say a word or two as to their general 
management. 
I usually commence wi'.h dry fodder by the middle of November, 
and discontinue by the 5th of May ; generally, however, for the first 
and last fifteen days, giving no hay, unless the ground should be co¬ 
vered, but feeding about half a gill of Indian corn to the sheep twice 
a day. As far as my experience extends, a ton of good hay will 
suffice for ten sher-p, with the above quantity of grain. They are 
fed from racks in the yard, and have sheds to retire to at will. I 
have fed under cover, but believe that it tends to diminish the appe¬ 
tite and injure the constitution. They are kept in separate yards, 
in number from 50 to 100, taking care to keep those of about the 
same degree of strength by themselves ; and have running water, 
though, when the ground is covered with snow, I think they do well 
without it. I allow about four bushels of salt to the 100 sheep, the 
greater part of which is consumed when the sheep are at grass. 
My bucks run with the ewes from the 1st to the 10th of December, 
allowing three to the 100. The number of lambs reared depends 
much upon the season; 60 lambs from the 100 ewes may be the 
average from flocks in quality like mine ; from coarser flocks the re¬ 
turn is greater. The ewes are not permitted to receive the buck 
till after they are two years old ; and I prefer bucks from two years 
old to four. 
These few facts will probably afford you little or no information; 
but in compliance with your request I communicate them, and should 
be gratified on receiving some account of your own management. 
I am, dear sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
LEONARD JARVIS. 
To this obliging communication, I take the liberty to subjoin a parliculr.r 
account of the above gentleman's flock, from his printed advertising card:— 
“I have four distinct flocks of different properties, but of equal 
value in the market: 
“1. Saxon mixed with Merino : fleeces extremely soft and fine, 
averaging about 2| pounds, staple generally very short; these are 
not so hardy as full blooded Merino, and consequently increase more 
slowly. 
“2. Unmixed Merino of the Escurial or Royal Spanish stock: 
these are very liftle inferior in fineness to the Saxon ; staple some¬ 
what longer, and more elastic, fleeces rather heavier; these are 
more hardy and productive than the Saxon Merinos. 
“3. Unmixed Merino of the Pauluar stock : these have still hea¬ 
vier fleeces, not so fine or soft as the Escurial; they are compact in 
form; constitutionally most hardy of the Merinos, and by far the 
most prolific. 
“4. Grand full blood Merinos: stock the result of previous inter¬ 
course of Escurial and Pauluar bucks and ewes, and consequently 
uniting their qualities of form and fleece, but occasionally exhibit¬ 
ing the peculiar characteristics of the Pauluar and Escurial only. 
(Signed) “LEONARD JARVIS.” 
A laugh costs too much if it is purchased at the expense of pro¬ 
priety.— Quint. 
Elements of Practical Agriculture, 
From Low's Element's of Practical Agriculture. 
THE HORSE. 
The horse is vastly modified in his form and characters by the 
physical condition of the countries in which he is naturalized. If 
fed in a country of plains and rich herbage, he tends to become 
large in his form ; and such is the character of the horse of the 
plains of Northern Europe, as of Holstein, England, and other 
countries abounding in rich herbage. Butin an elevated country, 
where the herbage is scanty, the size and form of the horse vary 
with the circumstances in which he is placed. There he becomes 
small, hardy, and capable of subsisting on the scant)' herbage with 
which the mountains supply him. No contrast between animals 
of the same species can be greater than that between the horse of 
the mountains and the horse of the plains. The pony of Norway 
or the Highlands of Scotland, as contrasted with the huge horse 
of the Lincolnshire fens, presents such extremes of strength and 
size that it is difficult to believe that creatures so different can be 
of the same species. Yet all this great diversity is produced by a 
difference in the supplies of food, as influenced by the effect of 
situation. Nor is this peculiar to the horse ; the domestic ox and 
the sheep are subject to the same law, and in a no less remarkable 
degree. These animals are essential to the subsistence of the hu¬ 
man race, and, by a beneficient provision of Nature, they are 
formed to adapt themselves to the circumstances in which they are 
placed. 
The horse fed on the arid plains and scanty herbage of warmer 
countries, assumes characters and a form entirely distinct from 
those of the large and massy animals fed on the rich pastures of 
temperate countries. It is from this cause that the large horse of 
England and the northern plains of Europe contrasts in a striking 
manner with the lighter shape of the horse of other regions. As 
we pass from the northern to the southern parts of Europe, this 
change of form and character appears, but yet more when we have 
crossed into Africa. There the horse of the desert displays the 
light form and agile shape which fit him for his condition. We 
see that he is here the creature of the circumstances in which he 
is placed. The heavy horse of the plains of Germany and En¬ 
gland could no more subsist on the dry and scanty herbage of Ara¬ 
bia than on the heaths of Norway. The species would perish in 
conditions so different did Nature not provide a remedy, by adapt¬ 
ing the animal to its condition. 
The ancient horses of the north of Europe must have consisted 
either of the smaller horses of the mountains or of the larger hor¬ 
ses of the plains. The horse which was chiefly employed for com¬ 
mon uses, for war, for the tournament, and even for the chase, 
seems to have been of the latter kind. This appears from the ac¬ 
counts and representations given of him, and from the form which 
he yet retains when unmixed with the blood of the lighter races of 
the South and East. It is to this intermixture that the technical 
term blood is applied. Importations long ago took place of horses 
from Spain, from Barbary, and the Levant; and, at a later period, 
from Arabia. The African and Arabian horses accordingly have 
given their characters to the blood horse of England and its innu¬ 
merable varieties. 
The animal in which this effect of blood is the most remarkable 
is the English race-horse. For the combination of speed with the 
necessary strength this creature can scarcely be surpassed. He 
forms, however, a race of artificial creation, admirably suited for 
a particular purpose, but not otherwise deserving of cultivation, 
except from this, that it is the stallions of his race that continue 
the excellence and purity of the parent stock. 
The superior class of riding-horses generally termed the hunter, 
is perhaps the finest race of horses known. It combines the blood 
of the Arabian, and other races of South and East, with the pow¬ 
erful form of the horses of the north of Europe in a much happier 
proportion than the race-horse. 
From the hunter downwards to the racers where no mixture of 
southern blood can be traced, the gradations are innumerable. It 
is in this class that our road-horses and hackneys, the horses em¬ 
ployed in our coaches and carriages of all kinds, nay, often in the 
mere labor of heavy draught, are contained. It forms the most 
numerous class of horses in the country. But a large proportion 
is bad, having lost the hardiness and strength of the native race 
