The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-11-23

Of troupes, and these, with those Of
Nas, and others scattered In Bohemia,
Moravia, Hungary, Prussia and Po-
land furnish the whole available Euro
pean stock Of this class.
Except In single district, France
has no supply Of superhne wool. Her
best woods are classed as LANES hautes
zines, a degree under the second class
Of the Electoral type. In the south,
where the merino was introduced and
spread for many centuries, in conse-
quence of the Spanish flocks In the
Pyrenees penetrating into France, we
find the type Negretti, with wool less
fine, but probably representing the
the primitive merlnos, such as existed
in Spain In the last century. The
Ramboulllet type unites in high de-
gree substance, uniformity and fine
ness of fleece. In the north and north
west, where a humid climate prevails,
wool ofexcellent quality Is produced.
France has now upwards of 95,0O0,0 900
sheep, two-thirds of which are meri-
nos pure or crossed, the rest are native
to the country or crossed with English.
They produce about 900, 000 900 pounds
of wool. In Germany, with climate
apparently so little favorable to Span
lsh merinos, the race has attained the
highest perfection. In Ssxony, Pom
erania, Mecklenburg. and Eastern and
Western Prussia. they have been re-
placed by the Negretti, which, for
abundance and excellence of wool, oc-
cupies leading position. Mecklen-
burg, rich wool-bearing country, was
Electoral type. Southern Germany is
not remarkable for the amount and
character of its wool, climatic cendi-
lions being unfsvorable. In Austria,
the leading sheep farmers of Moravis,
Bohemia, Silesia, and else where, keep
to the Saxony Electoral type: the
woods are generally remarkable for
their beauty, those of Sllesia particu-
larly for fineness, substance, softness
and length. In Hungary, of all coun-
tries in Europe fine wool Is produced
at the least cost. The fertility of the
soil, the size of the domains of the
landed proprietors. the scarcity of pop
ulation IN the eastern and central
parts, all contribute to render wool
raising more easy and economic than
elsewhere. The number of Electorals
is being gradually reduced, and the
type of merlnos dlffused ameng the
common races. The general qualities
of the Hungarian woods are great soft
ness and tenuity often with the touch
and appearance of cotton.
The climatic conditions of Russia,
which has some 100000 head of
sheep, of which 10000 are merlnos,
are favorable to the production of fine
descriptions Of wool. The central and
southern parts are particularly suited
to the culture, with fertile soils and the
extended domains OF the landed propri.
etors. Here are abundant troupes of
merInos, but the Negretu dominates,
modified by local conditions, the fleece
gaining in weight, but falling Off some-
what in fneness. The fine and extra
fine woods of Western Russia are used
for ordinary goods, but those of the
south for fine and medium drapsry.
Next to Russia ITSELF the woods are
used mostly by France. Spain, the
original home of merinos, and the sole
producer of the fine wool of that valua.
BILE race, is now greatly distanced by
other countries. Besides merinos, there
are many kinds of black and white
wool in Spain used for native purpOs-
es. Portugal, with climate tho same
as Spain, has no merinos, wanting as
it is in those high mountains in which
spanish merinos feed during summer.
rhe black and white woods are more
or less common, and are charged with
a glutinous grease which it Is difficult
to scour. Our remarks on Portuguese
woods apply to those of Italy, which
has not mere than $4,000, 900 sheep.
Sweden has some merinos, but the
yield is Indifferent.
We now come to Turkey. Through
her admirable natural resources she Is
enabled to furnish large supply OF
- w. - e. 49, -
"a 900, 900 lbs. Of wool per annum. The
most part Of the indigenous Turkish
races Of sheep pertain to tho seml-sav.
age state, but some Of the woods, such
as those of Adrianople, Salonica and
Para, are exceedingly fne. A large
importation of merinos, at the instance
Of the Turkish government, has great
ly improved the general yield.
OF the woods of Australia and New
Zealand, the general character Is a nat.
ural whiteness. elasticity, uniform
6neness and strength. They are gen.
orally ductile, ale easily spun. and
may with equal facility be combed OIL
carded. Nearly two-thirds of Eng
lands supply of wool comes from Aus
tralia. Her importation last year wal
larger than at any previous period
amounting to 225. 1888, 1881 pounds
These woods are particularly used TO
merino tissues and their derivatives
The manufacturers of France, Ger
many, and other continental countries
largely supply themselves from tn,
London wool sales.
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