The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-04-09
sheep-Varieties Of the .Merino.

sheep-Varieties Of the Merino.
The article in our paper last week
OF the same subject-of which this is !
coninuation-should have been credit.
cd To the Albany Culivator.
The FRENcu OK RAMBouirLET Me.
RiNos.-I'he breeds Of sheep original,
belonging 10 France, varied in charac
Ter with the face Of the country, and the
nature Of the pasture; but until the in
PRODUCTION of the Mernos, they gene
rally produced coarse wool 1t might
naturally have been expected that as the
country was only separated from Spain
by the Pyrcunccs mountains, the valuable
Merinos would have supplaned the
breeds above mentioned, at an carly
day; but such was not the case. In the
beginning Of the last century, however.
the French statesman, Colbert. at his
own expense, conveyed several Merinos
across the mountains. Thirty years af-
forwards, few more Mcrinos were in,
troduced but The prejudices ofthe pco-
pie eilectually prevented tie spread of
the breed and nothing important was
accomplished towards their establish,
ment in the kingdom till l7S6, when the
French government took up the matter,
and Obtained in Spain 376 Mernos
They were selected, according to NJ.
Gilbert, (as quoted by Livingston in his
Essay on Shecp) from a great number
of Spanish hocks in different parts of
the kingdom. Sixty of them died on the
passage. The remainder were sent to
Rambouillet, about forty miles from Par
is. where the government had an arri>
cultural establishment devoted TO the i'm
provcment Of domestic animals. MANY
OF the sheep and lambs were DESTROYED
by various diseases in the Course Of the
first year.
Notwithstanding these disasters, the
Ramboulllet flock gradually increased.
TO facilitate the spread Of the breed, a
publication OH the treatment of sheep
was drawn up by NJ. Gilbert, under the
patronage of the government; a practi>
cal school for the instruction of shep-
herds was instituted, and two other de,
pots for Merinos were established. But
with all these efforts, the introduction of
the Merlno was comparatively slow
for when, (as stated by Youatt,) a CEN
sus of the sheep in the KIN ngdom was Ia
ken, twenty-five years after the estab
lishment Of the RambouilIet flock, there
were thirty millions Of the native breeds,
and only two hundred thousand pare
Merinos. What has been their compar-
alive increase since that period, we have
no means of asceriaining; but as the
French people enjoyed long period OF
quiet and prosperity, and greatly increas-
ed their manufactures Of every descrp-
tion, after the peace Of 1915, it is rea,
sonabIe TO suppose that'the Merinos are
now extensively reared in the kingdom
The principal alterations which the
Merino appears to have undergone in
France, are increase Of size, and in
weight Of fleece. What has been the
average increase in these respects, we
have no data to show. Some which have
been imported TO the United States have
weighed 300 lbs each, and have pro,
duced 0eeces, Of one years growth
weighing, in the dirr, from twelve TO four,
teen pounds. An English writer, de-
scribing the RambouIlIet sheep, observes
THE Spaniards entertained an opinion
that a looseness OF skin under the throat
and other parts, contributed to the in.
crease Of fleece. This system the French
have so much enlarged on, that they have
produced in this flock individuals with
dewlaps almost down 10 the knees, and
folds of skin on the neck, like lrills,
nearly covering the head"
1t has been mentioned above that the
French Merinos were originally selected
from many nocks IN different paris ol
Spain and hence, according to Gilbert,
they were distinguished by very siri-
king local differences, which formed a
medley dsagreeable to the eye, but im-
material as it affected their quality" 1t
is probable that the differences which at
first existed in the flock have operated
10 prevet nan assimilation TO a uniform
standard in shape and size of the carcass
and quality of wool
RELATIVE PRoFITs or DIFFERENT Va
RIETlEs OF SHEEP,-Ii is to be regretted
that with all the controversy and strife
between the advocates of different vari>
cites, little or no light is brought ont in
reference to the main points which affect
their relative profits. 1t is true that diff
ierent varieties are adapted TO different
circumstances and between two locali-
ties, for instance. differing widely in soil f,
herbagc and climate. it may no, be diff
cult to say which of two breeds is best