vour to creep into holes, either under trees, or in buildings, and very evidently decrease in flesh. However it must be allowed, that by clipping a sheep twice a year, the first at the end of April, or the beginning of May, and the second time at the end of August, or the beginning of September, one tenth more wool is gained, than by clipping it only once. The reason appears to be, because the wool never grows more quickly than at the time it has been shorn.

"A sheep clipped once in two years will certainly give one third less wool, than if it had been clipped four times in two years; and a sheep shorn once in three years, will furnish but half the wook it would have given if it had been clipped six times in three years.

"The longer the wool, the less quickly it grows, till at last when it has attained the length appointed by nature, it entirely stops, and does not grow any longer.

"In Baron Schulz of Sweden's Report to the Board of Agriculture, it appears that in the year 1723, Sir Jonas Alströmer (counsellor of commerce, and knight of the order of Vasa) imported into that country some Spanish, and a few years before some fine woolled English sheep. In the year 1764 therè appears to have been no fewer than 88,750 genuine fine woolled sheep, without count+ ing 23,384 good sheep of mixed breeds. If perfect credit can be given to the first of these numbers, it would give room to conjecture that in the above year there was in the country a stock of 266,259lbs. of fine wool. The annual fleece of each Spanish

sheep may reasonably be reckoned at three pounds, without adding to it the wool of the belly and legs, which however the manufacturers are accustomed to let pass at the same price with the rest, when it is found to be well washed.

Of the several Swedish farms which supply the manufacturer of that country with premium wool that is of the finest quality) of the Spanish kind, there are two that belong to the baron. At one of these, a race of Spanish sheep, of near 50 years standing, is kept; he has at six different times brought from Spain both rams and ewes, with a view, if possible, further to ameliorate the Spanish breed of sheep already on the spot. He had also of late years an excellent opportunity, by means of a friend and relation resident in that country: but as a proof that even in the Spanish provinces, noted for the breed of sheep, real fine woolled sheep are not so common, I must mention that of six different cargoes, consisting of Leonese and old Castile sheep, procured with great pains, not more than a single one which arrived here in the year 1778 surpassed the former race. All the others were far below comparison with them; on which account also, the appraisers at the public hall strongly dissuaded all mixture of the four latter parcels of Spanish rams and ewes with my former stock. What value is put in Spain itself on a choice ram, appears by this, that for such a one, according to Baron Clas. Alströmer's ocular evidence, a curious sheep farmer in the country will pay as high as 100 Spanish Ducats.

The capital sort, which arrived in. 1778, was

of the Leonese stock, which the Baron thinks has the preference over the much renowned Castilian race, from Segovia, Soria, and Burgos.

"The oldest and finest Spanish race was most probably Syrian, which breed of sheep both in former times and now are known to be fine woolled; but if it is true, according to the assertion of others, that all Spanish sheep originate from Africa, it is at the same time likely, that they have been in part altered for the better under the climate of Spain, which has been further tempered by their yearly removal to a mountainous province, and to one six or seven degrees more northerly during the greatest heat of the summer."

Let us next examine those in France, and I cannot do it better than by transcribing from a Report (most obligingly presented to me by Messieurs Teissier and Huzard, at the Agricultural Meeting of the National Institute at Paris, on the 8th of September, 1802, which I was invited to attend by those gentlemen) such parts as may tend to prove the value of these sheep, and the interest they take in multiplying and disseminating the breed.

From that report it appears, that the fine wool of the Merino breed at the national farm at Rambouillet, in the course of five years doubled its former price, which is solely attributed by the reporters to the general increasing value of the wool, rather than to any eagerness on the part of the buyers, who, on the contrary, were known to have coalesced for the purpose of buying it at an inferior for low price. In spite of their efforts, the price of

the wool of this improved breed, kept pace with that of the finest fleeces obtained from the pure Spanish sheep; and it was desirable to the buyers that both should fall; the circumstance, however, which was of most importance to the country, and which at that time could not be foreseen, was, that the wool, the growth of France bore the same price with that from Spain.

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The breed which the Reporters here allude to, is repeated crossings with the best Merino rams, and some of the finest woolled sheep of their own country, as well as with the best Merino ewes; in the latter case, it was pretty evident, that the offspring from the original Spanish race had maintained its superiority through the several generations down to the period of the report.

In order that the breed of sheep throughout that kingdom might be improved to the utmost extent, a fair was established at Rambouillet for the sale of this national wool, and of those particular sheep, (that is of the improved breed from the Merino.) That fair was held for the first time on the 19th Prairial (which answers to the 7th of June.) Although it was announced to be held at a very short notice, it was found that they had sold 15,000 pounds weight of wool, and 3000 sheep. We are satisfied they have good bargains. Here then is a way to facilitate the amelioration of wool, because those who possess this breed are sure of a market to sell their produce as well as their sheep.

The French have also national establishments of the same nature at Pompadour, and at Perpignan, for the same laudable purpose.

cause, there is only the intervention of these mountains between their establishmente ate Perpignan, and those parts of Spain where these celebrated flocks are found in the greatest abundance and purity; and because there is a vast tract of rich and opulent country through the Lyonnois, on the road as it were to their grand establishment at Rambouillet, where there can be no difficulty of dispersing or disposing of not only the sheep, but also the wool,

England is situate between 50 and 56° north la titude, and between 2o east, and 6o 20, west longitude.

Silesia is situate about 51° 15', north latitude, and 17° east longitude.

Upper Saxony is situate between 54° 43′, north latitude, and 21° 35', east longitude.

Sweden is situate between 56 and 69° north latitude, and between 10 and 30° east longitude.

If we attentively examine the relative situations of these several kingdoms, and the spot where the Merino flocks have been so many years established, and from whence it is proved that we draw our ens tire supply of Spanish wool, it will appear that England is the precise spot that is best calculated to produce the finest fleeces in the greatest abundance; and at the same time to grow the largest mutton.

We none of those violent and excessive heats

which prevail in Spain and France during the summer months, which oblige the flock-masters, in the former kingdom particularly, to drive their sheep annually at the commencement of that season from the interior and more southern parts, to the