On the 28th of January was publifhed, the SupPLEMENTARY Number to our Twenty= 
fecond Volume, containing—Ha r-Yearty Rerrospects of Lrrerature, fundry 
Communications relative to Book-Societies, and the NreGoTIATION PapgErs. 
THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No. 153. } 
FEBRUARY 31,1807. 
[1 of Vou. 23. 
®* as long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving to their Opinions a Maximum or 
* FnAuence and Celebrity, the moft extenfively circulated Mifcellany will repay with the greateft Efect the 
%* Curiohity of thefe who read either for Amufement or Inftruction.” JOHNSON, 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AVING lately read a very ufeful 
H and interefting French work, on 
the fubject of fime-wooled Spanith theep, 
and being of opinion that its leading fea- 
tures ought to be generally known 
throughout this ifland, I take the liberty 
of requefting the publication of thei 
through the medium of your valuable and 
widely circulated Mifcellany. 
I lament that, after the fuccefsful ex- 
periments and fatisfactory reports of fach 
{pirited and enlightened agriculturifts as 
Lord Somerville, Mr. Tollet, and Dr. 
Parry, any further incitement to the 
adoption of a race fo juitly efteemed 
fhould be neceffary; but it unfortunately 
happens that in this, as in every other 
country, ignorance and prejudice are 
continually thwarting the efforts of ra- 
tional conviétion. He, therefore, who at- 
tempts by perfuafion founded on jutt 
grounds, to difpel the mift, which clouds 
the faculties and prevents the exertions 
of Britifh breeders, will not have the 
cenfure of candid and well-informed men. 
It is true that the Merino fheep is not 
likely to attract the approbation of any 
one by its beauty ; {till lefs fo in the pre- 
fent age, when fymmetry of form has been 
fo clofely ftudied, and completely obtain- 
ed; but to this it may be replied, firft, 
that the defect in careals fhould be prin- 
cipally afcribed to Britith fupinenefs; 
and fecondly, that it can be remedied. 
To fubftantiate my charge, I need only 
remark that this nation has for many 
years, without even being at the trouble 
of an experiment, paid to Spain for her 
fineft wool almoft any price that the chofe 
to demand, The article was indifpenfable 
to our fuperfine manutaétures; we con- 
tented ourfelyes with beheving the affer- 
tion that the foil, climate, and other local 
circumftances, were the caufes of wool 
being produced in Spain of an inimitable 
quality; aud we continued to tranfmit 
our euormous orders to a country, which 
Was annually becoming more in alliance 
Moniuty Mac. Ng. 153. 
with, or rather in fubjeétion to our deadly 
foe. The natural refult of our credulity 
and folly was, that the fheep-owners jn 
Spain, perceiving the vaft profits of the 
fleece, devoted their whole attention ta 
its unprovement, and left the carcafs te 
take its chance of becoming better or 
worfe. Hence, the latter enfued; but, as 
1 have faid, the evil may be remedied. 
That intelligent and patriotic breeder, 
Mr. Tollet, of Staffordfhire, (whofe name 
I have before mentioned, who has now a 
large flock of Merino, and Anglo-Merine 
fheep, and who is indefatigable in his en- 
deavours,to promote the adoption of this 
celebrated race,) tlates, that, in defiance 
ofneglect, fome of the fheep, which have 
been brought to this country from Spain, 
have been far from deficient in thofe 
characteriftics, which are genera!ly con- 
fidered as combining excellence of form. 
It follows, therefore, that judicious felec- 
tion from the offspring of thefe, and of 
others, might ere long totally remove the 
abfence of fymmetry, fo much complained 
cf. But after all, viewing them in their 
prefent ftate, and fuppoling that their 
fhape never can be improved, allow me 
to afk whether the rude Arab, like the 
enlightened Briton, would, while. con- 
templating the deformity of his camel, 
lofe fight of its utility. Js it not a fufh- 
clent incentive to- the farmers of thofe 
diftricts, where the fheep is reared prin- 
cipally for carding-wool, (and many of 
thefe flocks are far from exhibiting mocels 
of. beauty) that a fingle crofs. of the Me- 
rino race will double the value of each 
fleece; that the animal, thus yielding at - 
once double profit as to wool, will live 
on the fame paiturage; and that a butch- 
er, if wifhing to .buy a fcore fat wethers 
of tis crofs, would. value them. according 
to. his calculation of their weight, &e, 
without reference to their beauty; fo 
that one breed would in this refpeét be 
exactly fituated like the other? Is it not 
fufficient, I fay, that the carcafs fhould 
be werth no leis, while the fleece by its 
increafe, both in quantity and quality, 
A will 
, 
