The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-07-02
PRERACE.

The following work is, in my opinion,
well caic ulated to be useful to any proprie
tor of sheep and particularly to any one
who is DESTROYS of raising flock of Meri
nos. 1t IS, besides, full of curious matter,
and the reading OF it produces the pleasing
effect of bringing US, as it were, inso a
country. @hich we have only heard Of be
fore. But, that which most strongly re
commendeuis tn rUc, and which induced me
to re-pubiish 1t was, TIA. IL completely GET :
tied the very important question, nancy ::
7vheiher the american states could dis
hense NTH Eur9hean 7uoot and zuooAens !;
questioa OF very great interest to The
world in general, and 10 England in psrti..
cular.
Having never seen, in any part Of Ame-
RIGA, an assemblage of sheep worthy of the
name OF flock and having rom habit, al.
ways looked upon grass .fetds, and downs
and furnif fields as beiug indis1,ensabiy ne
cessary 10 the rearing anu keeping Of sheep.
IN any considerable number; l gave 1T as
my opinion, about three years ago (svhen
writing about the then dispute with America1
tina the Americans never could do without
WOOL from other Countries, seeing that Tor
the went of winter heritage and furnih
.fefds,, which they could not have for feed,
IN winter. on account OF the deep SHOWS,
they had II not in their power to keep
sheep IN number sufficient to supply them
with atentff part OF the wool requisite Tor
their various uses. But, upon reading a
French work by e.. p LAsTEYRIE, enti-
tied (" II History ofrfhe Introduction of Sha-
"ni8h Sheet, INFO the different states of
:" Eurofe. C'c. sJc." l found thar my no
ton OF the absolute necessity OF grass or
furnfh fieids, in winte, was quite errone
Gus; and, that the very finest flock Of sheet
IN all Eurofe. were kept at house during
five, and sometimes six, months in the year
found, that IN Saxony, IN Silesia, in Den
mark. in Sweden; found, that in all these
countries. it was the inUariabie practice to
keep the sheep at house and yard, like
oxen or other cattle, all the winter, and. +
also found, that. under this treatment, the
merino race of sheep as well as others,
had succeeded perfectly we'll. ] now find,
too, that the very finest Tvook known to
the English manufacturer comes from
SAXoNY; into which country the breed OF
Spanish sheep has been introduced only
for7y-SiT years at the longest that is to
say, little more than twice the length
OF time that the present war mas been going
on.
When learnt, that 1ocks of sheep could
be kept for whole winters, year after wear.
IN houses and yards, fed upon straw, baulm,
DRIED leaves, horse chesnuts, hay, and pota
toes; and, when | perceived that these
locks not only LIVED but increased most
wonderfully, aud that they sent to England
even FINER wool than any that ever was,
or that could now be, obtained from Spain;
when perceived this. / could entertain no
doubt OF the practicaDility of multiplying
sheep to any extent in the American states,
where animais OF every kind are uncom-
monly prolific. and where all the above
mentioned means OF wintering are found in
soperabundance. Before, therefore ] saw
Mr.. Livingstcn's ESSAY, ]. was fully con-
vinced, that, ii the Americans did no, spec
Oily become independent Of all other coun-
tries tor WOOL and wooLLERs it must be
entirely their own faux.
1t appears that they donot mean 10 incur
this blame for, the whole Country seems
TO be animated with he desire OF rearing
sheep chiefly for the sake OF he WOOL. as
will clearly appear from the facts stated oy
Mr.. LIVING TON. Indeed. the circum
| stance OF this ESSAY having been hublsi