276 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
detail and process, though liberal and exact,is slow and 
cumbrous. A committee is appointed, who come out 
and examine the selected sheep, and report to the Min¬ 
ister of Agriculture, who then authorises the Director to 
to sell them. To procure particular sheep not in the 
lot, would require almost as much diplomacy and man¬ 
agement, as to get a cabinet appointment! Usually, 
both rams and ewes are sold, but this season none of the 
latter were disposed of, as it was intended to increase 
the breeding flock. Every thing pertaining to the actu¬ 
al business of the sale, was very quietly and rapidly 
done, and in three hours the whole fifty-two rams were 
sold, and the company dispersed, except those, who in 
spite of the weather, stayed to visit the establishment, 
which is always open to inspection. The prices realised 
were high, and the foreign bids so large, that only seven 
rams were sold to remain in the country! 
The whilom royal flock of Rambouillet. it is well 
known, was imported from Spain in 1786. The sheep 
were selected from the best and most celebrated flocks 
in Spain, reference being had to the various distinctive 
excellencies of the different families that then compos¬ 
ed the elite of the Spanish sheep; as it was intended to 
produce a breed that should unite the best qualities of 
all of them in one animal! Neither pains nor expense 
were spared, to have them worthy of their royal desti¬ 
nation, and their descendants prove how successful must 
have been the choice. Up to the period of this impor¬ 
tation, agriculture, and especially the breeding of do¬ 
mestic animals, was at a very low ebb in France,* and 
this was a most laudable attempt of Louis XVI to im¬ 
prove the character of his wool bearing subjects. There 
had been at least one previous importation of Spanish 
sheep, towards the early part of the 18th century ,* but 
so slow was the progress of the new breed, that when the 
Rambouillet flock was established, little or no improve¬ 
ment had been made. Even now, after the lapse of 
more than half a century, the numbers of the improved 
breed is inconsiderable. Within a few leagues of Ram¬ 
bouillet, there are thousands of sheep bearing little and 
coarse wool, seldom reaching fifty lbs. live weight, and 
only fit for mutton. The district they inhabit, it must 
be allowed, is poor and rugged. Their fair is scanty in 
summer, and they live by browsing in winter. The mut¬ 
ton, however, is high flavored, corresponding to the 
Welsh mutton so much prized by English epicures; and 
when bought by the feeders, as they are occasionally, 
and put into good pasture, they fatten kindly. 
All the buildings and arrangements at Rambouillet, 
are very complete. The large sheep-houses are of stone, 
and built with every reference to the health and comfort 
of the sheep. The farm, however, connected with the 
establishment, is quite poor in quality, the land being 
very light. The Director is appointed by the govern¬ 
ment, and he is often changed, which militates some- 
what against the regular improvement of the flock, 
though its even and distinctive character speaks well for 
the scientific course of breeding that, through a series of 
years, has so thoroughly and advantageously amalga¬ 
mated the heterogeneous materials obtained from the 
various Spanish flocks out of which it is formed. In- 
and-in breeding, and the occasional rule of an imeompe- 
Aug. 
tent or prejudiced Director, have prevented this admi¬ 
rable flock from equalling those which, sprung from the 
same sources, have been the property of private individ¬ 
uals. The prominent characteristics of the national 
flock may be shortly sketched as follows. They are of 
fair size, (though smaller than the best class of French 
Merinoes lately imported into this country,) with almost 
as much symmetry as the South Downs. The ewes, es¬ 
pecially, are not much wrinkled, though well wooled on 
the face and legs. The fleece is fine and very close, but 
the staple is rather short, making the yield less than 
that of the before mentioned sheep. They are, on the 
whole, a very beautiful flock, but less imposing and su¬ 
perb than those of either Mons. Gilbert or Cugrot. 
After a short chat with Mons. Pichat, and a hasty 
glance at the various portraits of sheep which form a re¬ 
gular and instructive series from the first introduction 
of the breed up to the present day, we took our leave, 
and drove back to our friend Mons. Cugnot, where a 
party of eighteen staunch Merino breeders sat down to 
dinner. .It was a most agreeable finish to the day, and 
the agricultural “feast of reason and flow of soul,” 
was most edifying! A roast leg of lamb, French Meri¬ 
no lamb! formed one of the dishes, and I must confess, 
prejudiced as I was against tasting any thing with meri¬ 
no in it, I found it excellent, and quite free from the 
strong flavor so commonly perceived in this breed. I 
mention this as a curious fact, and one which at present 
prices, is not likely to be much investigated in this coun¬ 
try. But I think we may rank these sheep as possessing 
fair mutton properties. The next day was the great 
Sheep Fair at Rambouillet, an account of which I will 
leave till my next number. F. M. R. Morris, Otsego 
Co., N. F. ^ 
Inquiries about Manures. 
We often have inquiries whether long or short manure 
is best; whether straw plowed in is beneficial; whether 
chip-dirt is hurtful or advantageous, &c. General in¬ 
quiries cannot always receive a general answer. For in¬ 
stance, we have known long manure, or that which was 
composed of much straw mixed with strongly fertilizing 
materials, prove actually injurious on light soils, and in 
dry seasons. On the contrary, we have known straw 
alone to prove highly beneficial on heavy and rather wet 
soils, by increasing the lightness and porosity, and faci¬ 
litating drainage. 
To prevent bad results on light land, all manure, but 
more especially that which is unfermented and mixed 
with straw, should be as much pulverized and mingled 
with the soil as possible. It should be first spread, and 
allowed to dry a few hours, the loss by evaporation being 
far less than the loss by want of pulverization. It can 
then be thoroughly torn to pieces by repeated harrow- 
ings, which will mix it thoroughly at the same time with 
the surface soil. When turned under by the plow, none 
of it will remain in lumps, and by being well intermixed, 
it will serve rather to preserve than to dissipate the 
moisture. The same treatment on heavy soils, will also 
have a beneficial result, by increasing the friability of the 
parts. In soils not over-supplied with vegetable matter, 
straw and chip-dirt become useful as soon as they de¬ 
cay ; and in adhesive soils they are useful by lessening 
the tenacity and promoting drainage. But on light soils, 
they often prove hurtful, and most so in dry seasons. 
