magne a certain quantity of Spanish wool as a present worthy of being presented to a great prince from the extreme beauty and fineness of the wool.

Lastly they have advanced that the race of the Spanish sheep had been improved in quality by a considerable importation of sheep, which came into Spain as the marriage portion of a princess of the House of Lancaster married to an hereditary prince of Castile, son of Henry the Third; but this asseveration is the most improbable of all, considering the difference of form and characteristics between the English and Spanish sheep, particularly as to the quality of the wool.

In the midst of all these incertitudes let us have resort to some facts that may give some show of probability to the origin of the Merinos.

By following the historical and traditional facts, and taking in review the period from the year 69, in the reign of Galba, down to our own times, we find Spain has always been in possession of, and able to furnish to all Europe the finest wools. This commerce was immense in the 16th century, under Ferdinand and Isabella, and under Charles the Fifth. Spain had then eight millions of Merinos. This commerce flourished under the dominion of the Moors, and above all, under the Goths; lastly the Spanish wool was in high reputation under the first Emperors. Thus in proceeding from the cause to the effects, we are authorized to believe that the pastoral science was always known and practiced in these countries, and that the conservation of this race, the beauty of their forms and the fine quality of the wool, have always been kept in view without interruption.

If to these considerations we add all the advantages of the soil and climate that Spain affords for the raising of this kind of sheep; if we reflect it has not been more difficult for the Spaniards to keep their race of Merinos pure, than the Arabs of the desert their beautiful blood horses, it may be granted it is useless to search in any other country than Spain for the origin of the pure Merinos; and that this precious race originated in Spain. But whatever may be the objections that can be opposed to this opinion, and if any one insists that this race were imported, it still remains proved that neither in history nor tradition can any facts be found of this race in other countries, or the smallest trace of such sheep; and if this importation did really take place, it must remount to the earliest ages of which no fragments of history are extant, or have reached our times; and that in no country but Spain can be found the original type that distinguish and characterize this bountiful gift of Providence to man, and that these sheep are a distinct race, even as regards their anatomical structure.

I now come to the second part, viz: the origin of the Rambouillet sheep under the care of French government.

This might appear of secondary interest, but for the civil wars and revolutions in Spain, and the consequent relaxation of those antique laws so essentially conservatory of the pure Merino; and but for the fact that the proprietors of some of the best flocks have caught the baneful mania, and crossed their flocks with the Saxony sheep. Perhaps now the best sheep are to be found in France in the Royal establishments, though a good judge no doubt would find plenty of good and pure bred sheep even in Spain.

No confidence can be placed but in those selected from the Royal flocks, or those derived from them. In Spain they are specially under the care of the King, though he never possessed a single head, and are called "trans humante," or travelling sheep, and are governed by a species of republican senate, with privileges and rights confirmed for many ages, with singular and antique laws, but essentially protective, and conservatory. Breeders think if they can prove their sheep came from Spain, that is sufficient; but they must prove they came from the Royal flock, "trans humante," or travelling sheep, to prove they are pure Merinos.

The first pure Merino sheep introduced into France was procured under the orders of Louis the XVIth, by Monsieur de Trudaine, in the year 1776; it consisted of 200 head; M. M. Daubenton and Buharnois obtained the greatest part of them.

The second was also demanded and obtained by Louis the XVIth, in 1786; it consisted of 367 head, and under the care of Mons. D'Angivilliers, the whole 367 head formed the foundation of the Rambouillet flocks.

The third was exacted by the directory, and by a secret article in the treaty of Basia in 1799 it consisted of 5,500 head brought into France at successive periods under the care of Mons. Gilbert Leporte and others. This importation has founded the seven Royal establishments of undoubted purity under the direction of the minister of the interior.

The fourth importation was of 600 head, under the orders of Napoleon in 1808, according to the order of the minister of the interior. 190 of these sheep and ten rams were placed at the National establishment of the Landes, department des Landes. This last was by far the most important, and were the finest sheep, selected from the most celebrated Cavagnes of M. M. Le Compte del Campo Alange for those of Negrette, the Marquis de Peralles, the Count de Montarco, the Marquis de Les Hasmozas, the Count de Portago and others. For the first time the French were permitted to choose the rams in the reserve, in the proportion of five rams to every 100 ewes (this is important when you hear gentlemen boasting of their sheep,) for the first time they procured permission to choose from the elite of the flocks.

Mons. Le Comte Del Campo Alange, proprietor of the fine Cavagne of Negrette, sent to Josephine, then Empress, 100 ewes and 6 rams, the flower of his flock. These were the best sheep ever introduced into France, and were delivered to the head shepherd at Malmaison. The mark of the Cavagne Negrette of Mons. Le Compte del Campo Alange, was burnt on the nose, N. E. The rams were marked with a U, like a horse shoe. These marks are all important, as by them it can be traced back whether sheep are of pure origin, as by the laws of Spain, anybody adopting the marks of any Cavagne, (which are all registered) would be prosecuted as for forgery.

The division Luco Negrette is one of the finest Cavagnes of the Compte del Campo Alange.

The flock of the Empress Josephnie, offers in itself the choice of the two Cavagnes, the most celebrated in Spain, those of Paular and Negrette.

The Paular of La Alcinda furnishes fleeces of the finest wool known. In the Negrette we find the nerve, the length, and all that distinguishes the Paular, notwithstanding the qualities of this flock. Malmaison being Josephine's private residence, at the sale of her effects, these beautiful sheep could not find purchasers at the lowest rate, and I fear they fell into hands that could not or did not appreciate them, for when in France in vain I made enquiries in every direction to get a sight of these sheep.

To show the folly of breeding sheep merely for obtaining only the very finest quality, without regard to quantity particularly in this country, where climate and price for the very finest quality will never pay. The finest wool I ever saw in my life were from Merinos belonging to the Dutchess de Caylus, chere amie, of Louis XVIIIth. She had permission to cull the Rambouillet flock for the finest wool, and bred for no other purpose than to surpass everything for fineness hitherto produced, which she effected. I had an excellent opportunity of examining these sheep. I had them on a large table, and studied them in every way. The wool surpassed in fineness anything I ever saw, but the animals were weakly in constitution, small in carcass and in weight, and when sent to the annual show for the premium, they were conveyed in low carts with springs, and in very cold weather were actually clothed like horses. The study and inspection of these sheep afforded me considerable instruction.

I continue to keep up a large correspondence in this country and Europe, eagerly in search of every new fact that may be useful to us in practice. I have never read any work entire on sheep published in the United States. What I have given here is all my own, and from notes.

REMARKS

ON THE KIND OF SHEEP THAT ARE THE MOST PROFITABLE, AND THAT WE OUGHT TO EMPLOΥ.

BY MR. ANCRAM, of Michigan.

As the kind of sheep must be governed very much by the amount of capital employed, I shall not fix upon the exact breed in this paper, or the course that ought to be pursued.

Saxony Sheep.

These sheep are of no true breed of any kind, all that has been done, was to select always the finest wool without any reference to the blood of the animal; the result of this is, these animals produce a small quantity of the finest wool that can be produced; while in every other respect, they are inferior animals. These sheep have been almost universally crossed in the original Spanish Merino, which possessed fine substantial forms, well covered bodies, and beautiful and uniform fleeces. This cross has deteriorated the merinos of the United States, millions of dollars; these are the fashionable sheep, but I have long learned to despise popular opinion, and judge for myself; these sheep suit the manufacturers to work up the grade and pure merino wool; but it never can pay the man who raises them. They clip from 21 to 3 lbs. of wool, which has sold for 50 cts., 60 cts., 68 cts, and I believe small lots higher; the animals are small, weak and with their open fleeces, ill adapted to our cold winters; they sell high when of the finest quality. As it is well known to breeders, that in breeding animals, they breed back not to the immediate parents, but possibly to the great grandam or sire it must follow; that crossing with these rams after several years, a flock is deteriorated instead of improved. This is what has actually happened in the United States, wool decreased in quantity, animals in size, and stamina, and nothing left but a little very fine wool, profitable only to the manufacturer who of course likes to vie with the English in soft superfine cloths, at the expense of the wool raiser. I have said this much, as these are the popular sheep; all have a dash