should suppose that these heavy, fleeces are inferior to the lighter ones of other flocks in quality, I need only observe, that the Rambouillet fleeces, from which mine are derived, are the finest in Europe. That my wool has sold constantly to manufacturers at two dollars per pound in the yolk, and is purchased with great avidity. To you sir, who have seen samples of it, I need say nothing on this subject, since you are well satisfied of its superiority. And in the letter you did me the favour to write, July 2d, 1809, you say, that you have shown the specimens to the members of the Cattle Society, and that it was agreed that none of you had seen such beautiful samples; and you add, "the staple is double the length of Col. Humphreys' ram which I had two years, and had a silkiness and wavey appearance which the other is intirely deficient in."

The following statement will serve to show the quantity of provender consumed by five Merino three-quarter wethers in England, and their consequent increase in weight. The sheep were exhibited at the Cattle Show of Lord Somerville, in March last, in London; and had been fed by Morris Birkbeck, a well known respectable agriculturalist.

Notice has been taken by Mr. Dupont, of the remark I made, p. 87, "that Don Pedro has very little wool on his legs." The present deficiency in that respect, observable in him, he ascribes to his great age, and says, that when younger he was clothed down to the hoof, that his progeny carry the same mark, and that he thinks it characteristic of true thorough bred stock. It is a fact however, that Mr. Smith's ram had but little wool on

his legs, and yet that the highest price was offered for his fleece by a manufacturer; and further, that the progeny of Merinos of the same cross, differ much in the proportion of wool on their legs. This remark I have often made when examining my own flock, and that of others. It may be well to attend to the circumstance, in order to determine whether there be any absolute connexion (in the full blood) between very woolly legs, and quality of fleece.

The following account, from the Virginia Argus, of the utility of salving sheep, is recorded as confirmation of that practice recommended in the first number.

Mr. PLEASANTS.-I have long thought of communicating to the public, a remedy for the cure of the rot and scab in sheep, which I have made use of with very great success. In the year 1806, my flock was so very indifferent, that from ninety sheep, I sheared only 130 weight of wool, so sorry as to be barely fit to make clothing for young negroes. Immediately after shearing I made use of the following mixture:-Three gallons of tar, and three gallons of train oil, boiled together, to which were added three pounds roll brimstone, finely powdered and stirred in. This quantity was sufficient for the above number, and was poured on with a kitchen ladle, from the top of the head along the back bone, to the tail.

At the next shearing, (in 1807) from seventy-eight of the same sheep, I sheared 360 lbs. of very good wool, and instead of twenty to'twenty-five sorry lambs, commonly raised from my flock, I raised fifty-five as fine as ever I saw. Since this application, I have frequently been asked by my neighbours where I got such fine sheep. This remedy was taken from an old eastern paper, which I am sorry to say, I have lost or mislaid. It may be necessary to add, that I have continued to make use of this application with the same success, and that when train oil is difficult to be had, any kind of grease, such as is used for plantation leather, will anI am Sir,

swer.

Your obedient servant,

Mecklenburg, 13th June, 1808.

J. NELSON.

REMARK.-The quantity of the salve put on in the above instance, was certainly greater than requisite, and must have stained the wool to a great degree, so as to lessen its capability of receiving delicate colours. Butter, and tar or wax, are much preferable.

On Wednesday, 5th Sept. 1810, at the Merchants' Coffee House in this city, at one o'clock, commenced the sale of twentyfive Merino Sheep, advertised to be sold by Messrs. Freeman & Passmore. The concourse of people that attended was greater than is remembered on any similar occasion.

The sale continued two hours, during which time the whole flock, consisting of nineteen Ewes and six Rams, were sold at the following prices :

The average price of the healthy rams appears to have been 293 dollars each, and the average price of the ewes 229 dollars and 31 cents. Total amount of the sale of 25 Merino Sheep 5900 dollars.

Another cargo has arrived since the above; and were sold at private sale. Thirty-three ewes brought 250 dollars each. Mr. John Warner and Messrs. Dupont and Bauduy purchased eleven ewes and two rams: the latter at 350 dollars each.

Three rams were sold to Mr. John Wright, and seventeen Five were reserved for a person in New-York.

ewes.

From the Agricultural Museum, of Georgetown, Maryland.

Extract of a Letter from CHANCELLOR LIVINGSTON, to Mr. CUSTIS, of Arlington, dated 29th June, 1810.

My sheep shearing this year offers the following curious and encouraging facts :—

The average of the fleeces of my three stock rams, was upwards of nine pounds fourteen ounces; and one of them weighed 11 lbs. 11 oz. which sold at two dollars per pound, as it came from the sheep's back. I believe the United States have never before witnessed a fleece that sold as this did, at more than twenty-three dollars. The average of the ewes' fleeces, the whole number being 196, was equally interesting, as you will see from the following statement :

From this it appears, that the weight of the fleeces is proportioned to the purity of the blood, and that in crossing with these sheep we not only gain in the value of the wool, but in its quantity, which I am told is more an object in your state than the quality. If so, cross your long woolled ewes with Clermont Merino rams, and I am persuaded that you will add to the weight of their fleeces.* The next thing worthy of observation is the improvement on my stock since the last year; the average of my full bred ewes was then only 5 lbs. 2 oz., this year they have gained nine

*This will certainly be the effect. But the difference in the nature of the long or combing wool, and the short or carding wool, which is particularly adapted for clothing, should be kept constantly in view. The improvers in England, from a conviction of the importance of keeping the two breeds separate, constantly have crossed the Merino with the short woolled native stock of the country. Such is the Ryeland breed of Herefordshire, upon which Dr. Parry, Mr. Tollet and others have formed their excellent flocks. See Archives, No. 1, EDITOR.

I at

ounces per head, though the keep was exactly the same. tribute this to two causes, first to the better selection of rams, which I am now able to make, admitting none to my flock that are not very fine, and that yield less than 9 lbs. of wool;-and next, to the general improvement occasioned by keeping and climate, for it is upon the young ewes that the gain is most-the old ones remaining as they were last year. A third inference from these facts is, that it will be very practicable to have a flock of ewes, whose fleeces shall average at least 8 lbs. ; for if some give 8 lbs. 12 oz. and several 8 lbs., there can be no doubt that when I begin to select my ewes as I do my rams, and sell those that have the lightest or coarsest fleeces, I may bring them to 8 lbs., which is about the standard of the Rambouillet flock, and more than the double of the flocks of Spain. It is by this mode of procedure that the flock of Rambouillet is so very superior to the Spanish flocks, both in the quantity and the quality of the wool. What will be the state of our manufactures when your farmers, instead of a few ragged sheep, keep flocks of 1000 Merinos, which any farm of 1000 acres may conveniently do? And let me add, what will be the difference in the circumstances of the farmer, who receives 16000 dollars a year for his wool, with less expense than it costs him to make 1000 dollars by his tobacco?

ON THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY OF WOOL, AND ITS DIVISIONS.

WHEN the fleeces are separated from the back of the sheep, they are found to contain different kinds of wool, frequently suitable to the fabrication of articles very dissimilar in their nature, and adapted to processes in the manufacture of a description to tally different from each other. The chief business of the stapler is to separate the portions of this mingled mass, to distribute them in their proper order, and to supply the manufacturers with the peculiar kind of wool required by the goods which each of them makes.

Various names are given to wool, according to its state, or relative degree of fineness. When first shorn, it is termed a fleece; and every fleece is usually divided into three kinds, viz. the prime