39 
time after they are turned out to pasture, as the condition of the flock 
and the state of the grass may require. 
¥ 
“ They are kept in pasture until washing season, after which they are 
kept in heavy swarded pastures from six to ten days, when the fleece is 
taken off. 
“ After shearing, I either dip the whole flock, lambs included, in a 
weak solution of tobacco juice, or else go over them with a preparation 
of oil, lampblack and umber, either of which will destroy the tick. 
“The result of my management last season was, that I could discover 
no difference as to the amount of feed required by the Spanish Merino 
and the half and three-fourths French and Spanish. They wintered 
equalty well and appeared all equally hardy, and they were all equally 
well washed; in fact, I made no difference in the treatment of them. 
They all dropped lambs in April and May. At shearing, the fleeces from 
the Spanish Merinos were kept separate from the others, and the wool 
from each carefully weighed. The average of my Spanish clip was six 
pounds ten ounces per head. My half and three-fourtli French and 
Spanish sheared seven pounds one ounce average per head. The wool 
was of equal quality, for all of which I was offered 62 J- cts. per !b. but 
did not sell.. 
“I did not winter any full blood French Merino ewes last season, 
though I had a full blood French buck, and have hitherto kept ewes of 
the same breed. The French are larger than the Spanish, and require 
rather more feed, but yield a much heavier fleece. 
“From my experience, I prefer the French; but the full bloods are so 
high priced at present that but few are able to keep large flocks of that 
breed. 
“From what is stated above, it will be seen that the French crossed 
with the Spanish are more profitable and preferable than the pure 
Spanish. 
Yours with respect, 
J. J. McAllister.” 
To Albert C. Ingham, Esq. 
Sec. of the Wis. State Ayr. Society. 
