1307.] 
bouillet, after having paffed the winter in 
the neighbourhood of Bourdeaux; and from 
the time of their original departure to 
that of their final arrival, about three 
feore of them died. The furvivors gave 
rife to the extenlive flock now kept at 
Rambouillet; and to the confiderable 
number which have been fold to indivi- 
duals, as the breed progreflively increaf- 
ed. At firit, feveral rams and ewes were 
given to encourage enterprifing farmers ; 
but as it appeared that thefe were de- 
{pifed merely becaufe they were a gift, a 
fale was fub(tituted. The previncial ad- 
miniftrations, then eftablifhed, made ap- 
plication for them, and had a preference. 
Since that time, and. efpecially of late, 
the prices at Rambouillet have been 
much increated, and have indeed reached 
a height, which appears extraordinary in 
a country, where it is not cuftomary, as 
in England, to expend confiderable fums 
for the purpofe of acquiring a fheep par- 
ticularly fuited to the breeder’s purpofe. 
The Merino race having thus been proved 
to carry as valuable a fleece in France as 
in Spain, an oppofition has next been 
made to the mutton; thofe, who wifhed 
to depreciate it, having afferted that the 
animal was not difpofed to fatten kindly, 
and that its fleth was very coarfe ; afler- 
tions, which have both been experimen- 
tally proved to be totally deititute of 
foundation. There are at prefent in 
France more than fifteen thoufand of the 
pure Merino breed, befides an immenfe 
number improved by the crofs. 
" HOLLAND. 
“There are few regions of Europe, whofe 
temperature and {oil differ more than 
thofe of Spain and Holland. The Merino 
fheep, tranfported from a feorching cli- 
mate to a cold aad marthy country, have, 
neverthelefs, preferved, in Holland, the 
qualities which diftnguifh them from 
other breeds, and have remained vigo- 
roully healthy. It was not till 1789, that 
Mr. Twent made the firit fmall importa- 
tion, which he placed upon! his farm be- 
tween Leyden and the Hague. It con- 
{ifted of two rams and four ewes, which 
are now increafed to two hundred, betides 
thofe fold from it, this being the number 
to which Mr. T. is obliged to: confine 
himfelf by the limits of his farm. It is 
by parting with the leaft perfect animals, 
and preferving thofe which bear the 
longeft as well as fineft wool, that he has 
formed a valuable flock; preferabie, in- 
deed, to any m Holland. Mr. Twent 
has alfo croffed the different breeds of 
Holland, particularly thofe of the Texel 
of breeding Merino Sheep. 5 
and Friefland, with complete fuccefs, and 
helding forth promife of {till greater ad 
vantages. His fpinited exertions have 
encouraged others in the fame purfuit, 
and the public partiality towards the 
celebrated Merimo race, which is founded 
on experiments in almeft every civilized 
nation of Europe, gives reafon to believe 
that fme-wooled ftheep will ultimately 
caufe the common breeds to difappear. 
‘¢ CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 
“ Acriculturifts have told us that animals, 
which are tranfported from North to 
South, viz. from a climate lefs warm than 
that to which they are removed, will de- 
generate, whether they breed among 
themfelves, or crofs any other race of 
the country; and that, vice verja, animals 
taken from South to North, improve thofe 
with which they are connected. Many 
facts, however exift, in oppofition to this 
opinion ; belides which, itis ealy to prove 
that the degeneracy complained of, fhould 
be aferibed to other caufes than thofe 
which are adduced. When a futficient 
number of experiments fhall have been 
made by accurate obfervers, it will be 
found irom a comparifon of them, that 
want of knowledge, a bad choice, negleét, 
and improper nutriment, tend as much 
and even more towards degentration of 
the fpecies, than the greater or lefs de- 
eree of heat which prevails under a dif 
ferent latitude. The fuccefs of fines 
wooled fheep at the Cape of Good Hope, 
proves that this general opinion is not 
founded upon facis. 1 am convinced, 
indeed, after the obfervations which I 
have colleéted in Spain, upon the breeds 
of that country, upon their mode of rear- 
ing, upon the nature of the foil and cli- 
mate, that the general caufes of their fine 
wools are not thofe ufually fuppofed. 
The prefervation in its utmoft purity of 
the Merino race, at the Cape of Good 
Hope, in the marthes of Holland, and un- 
der the rigorous climate of Sweden, add. 
an additional proof to this my unalterable 
principle: fine-wooled /heep may be reared 
wherever indufirious men-and intelligent 
breedcys exifi. The Spanifh breed was 
taken to the Cape in 1782, and Lord 
Somerville received fpecimeus of its ex- 
cellence, with an affurance from his cor- 
refpondent, that the wool had rather 
gained than loft in quality, from its 
growth of eighteen years in that colony. 
f “ TPTALY:s 
“1s Italy then, which has fo long de~ 
fpifed the ufeful arts, willing to awake 
from the trance, into which ignorance 
and. fanaticifm have, till now, pine 
er? 
