the modern breed is not the original race of the Cotswold hills. For though Camden describes the ancient breed as being square of bulk and bone, this must be taken as compared with the small surrounding breeds. The most reasonable theory is that when they began to enclose and cultivate the hills, a larger breed was introduced, which, in some instances, was crossed with the small breed; in other cases the smaller breed was withdrawn or killed off, and the large one took its place. This change in all probability commenced in the reign of Elizabeth, for although Speed writing about this period, describes a fine wooled breed, similar to the Ryeland. Markham describes a long wooled breed upon these hills. This point is well established that when the hills were barren a small breed of sheep was kept, and increase of size and improvement of breed kept exact step with the improved cultivation of the soil, for the long wooled breed has undergone a great change within a comparatively recent period Formerly they were described as a very large, coarse, long-legged flat-ribbed variety, light in the forequarters, shearing a long, heavy, coarse fleece of wool. They were hardy, prolific breeders, and capital nurses, yet defi. cient in early maturity, and not possessing very good fattening qualities. They were not fed upon the hills where they were raised, the herbage being insufficient, but the wethers when two and three years old, were sold into the valleys of the Severn and Thames, where they were fattened at about four years of age.

But the improved tillage of the hills, the production of vetches, artificial grasses, among which sainfoin and the clovers form no small part, and the production of roots, and the improvement of the breed has changed to a great extent its character. The forequarters are now much larger, and their ribs more rounded, their back and loins much broader, and altogether they are much better built than the old breed, but are not now remarkable for a very fine form; their hindquarters are large, and when fat they carry a large portion of it upon their rumps.

These hills now fat all the sheep they raise, and that number is greatly increased. Now the wethers are brought fat to market at twelve and fourteen months old, weighing from fifteen to twenty-four pounds per quarter, and at a year and a half and two years old they weigh from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds per quarter. The medium weight of their fleeces is from seven to eight pounds, the length of staple from six to eight inches. This, however, will be regulated by the feed-better the feed the longer the staple, heavier the fleece and mellower the wool.

The rams sometimes reach near four hundred pounds, and shear thirteen or fourteen pounds of washed wool. Good ewes will occasionally weigh

two hundred pounds, and shear twelve pounds of wool. The staple of some yearling bucks will measure from twelve to fifteen inches.

The Cotswolds rank among the first of the long wooled and mutton sheep. Their wool is well adapted for the production of the coarser kinds of worsteds, though in England the wool sheared from well fed sheep is used in the production of a medium class of goods.

Mr. Flint, in his report of the exhibition of the Royal Agricultural Society, says: "They excel most other breeds in a combination of weight of carcass, wool, and quality. The prominent points of those at the fair were the broad, straight back, fine neck and shoulders, and great length of quarter. As an instance of the prices which this popular breed brings in England, it may be mentioned that in 1861 thirty-five rams sold at an average of over $172 each."

He further says: "They all had the large foretop on the forehead." There are breeders in this country who say that the foretop is not a distinguishing feature of this breed; but the want of it is a sure sign of the presence of some other breed. The pure breed may be further described as having a long and rather thin head, face and legs white, the ears wide but not thin, and without wool. The wool comes down to the knee and hock, and covers the neck and chops.

This breed affords us another very striking instance of the benefits arising from good feed and good care-the return is a good supply of first class mutton at a very early age, and a good heavy fleece; and if the English farmer can make such improvements in stock, and upon land which he does not own, and make money, what ought the American farmer to do who owns his own land and obtains as good a price for his wool as the English farmer, and to-day receives twenty-five cents per pound more than is paid in England for the same kind?

THE BREEDING OF THE NEGRETTI SHEEP AND THE ESTABLISHMENTS FOR THE BREEDING OF SHEEP IN MECHLENBURG.

BY W. SETTEGAST.

TRANSLATED BY JOHN H. KLIPPART.

The breeding of the Merino sheep in Mechlenburg has lately attracted the attention of agriculturists far and near, who are observing the so-called "contention for the golden fleece," in which the Agricultural Advertiser

of the Berlin Banking and Commercial News was the chief participant. Yet many who have read the animated articles published in the above named paper, may have been unable to determine whether the one or the other of the views presented be the correct one, for the simple reason that they had no knowledge of the establishments for the breeding of sheep in Mechlenburg, based upon their own observations. Party contentions, in which, as in the above named discussions, the leaders are justifiable in always keeping an eye upon their own private interest, render it difficult to those not immediately interested, to derive any information from an unprejudiced judgment in regard to the subject of controversy, and to decide on the correctness of the one or the other of the views presented.

It is known that this discussion, which became animated on account of the importance of the subject, and which was at last settled rather than brought to a final decision, by the soothing words of Mr. Mentzel, turned upon vital questions, in which the development and future condition of the breeding of the Merino sheep in Germany were involved, namely: whether, in general, the Escurial (Electoral) race be preferable to the Negretti race, or vice versa; and whether, in particular, the breeding and keeping of the Negretti sheep in Mechlenburg furnish larger net profits than the breeding of sheep in Silesia and those regions where the breeders in this branch have adopted the same or a similar method, as in Silesia.

I have been engaged for many years in the breeding of the Merino sheep, and on the yearly excursions in company with my pupils, had the opportunity of becoming acquainted with the condition of breeding in different regions, yet the establishments for the breeding of sheep in Mechlenburg were unknown to me. Of course I had now and then seen bucks and ewes from that country, but I knew that the state of the sheep breeding in any country cannot be determined according to the properties exhibited by such individual specimens.

In the spring of 1860 I made an excursion with several of my pupils, for the purpose of inspecting different establishments for sheep breeding, in order to obtain a general knowledge of the present state of it in Mechlenburg, and, from my own observations, to approximate to a solution of the above question-whether and how far the method of breeding in that country might furnish some material for improvement in other countries.

In venturing to state the impressions I received, and to inquire into the merits of the methods adopted by prominent breeders, I fully appreciate the difficulty of my task; but, on the other hand, I am convinced that the agricultural public in general, and in particular, those men who are immediately concerned in these communications," will prove forbearing and unbiased critics. Although I believe to have kept myself aloof

of any party views and prejudice, yet some breeders of sheep, having observed, with deepest interest, the different methods of producing wool, and formed an opinion in regard to the expediency of the one or the other, will hardly be able to examine into the subject, unbiassed to such a degree as to prevent their present views from reflecting upon the new picture presented to them. Thus, without showing it myself, the same may have happened to me in making my observations and drawing conclusions therefrom. From this point of view I would ask the gentle reader to receive the following statements of the corrections of which I have convinced myself. My pen shall never be governed by that anxious precaution, which, in treating on similar themes, contents itself with allusions, speaks by omissions, and presumes the ability in the reader of interpolating between the lines; but suffice it to say, that I speak only for the sake of the subject itself, and that this alone could induce me to name persons.

To obtain information on the conditions of a very extensive branch of the breeding of domestic animals in a foreign country, by sojourning in it, and to avoid errors in attempting to arrive at conclusions applicable to the whole from what is seen here and there, and thereby to obtain a general view of such a vast range of efforts made for various purposes, is surely no easy task. To mention this difficulty also, seems not superfluous in discussing questions of great importance to the public, in which the most different interests are concerned, and in this connection I will admit that on my excursion to Mechlenburg, many things may have escaped my notice which it would have been proper to take into consideration in forming a general review. If this should be the case, I would ask the more initiated ones for a correction of my views, provided, that it be done for no party purposes.

Even a hasty inspection of the flocks of that country show the incorrectness of the opinion prevailing abroad, that the Merino sheep there are the product of the same method of breeding, and that the animals in the various flocks, which are comprised in the brief term of "Mechlenburg Negrettis," do not differ from one another in their essential, characteristic properties. This supposition is still more erroneous than the term "Silesian Merino sheep," frequently comprising elements essentially different. Such a commixion of the Mechlenburg Merino sheep in the above stated sense is unjustifiable, as may easily be shown. There are two breeds which are distinguished very readily by inspecting the establishments in question, and which furnish very different issues. But the easiest way of discerning and characterizing them may be by inspecting the representatives of both those breeds, the stock establishments, which take the lead, and by furnishing the animals for breeding from amongst their own or

filial flocks, exert a deciding influence upon the great mass of the less independent establishments. Then we meet with the stock establishment of Baldebuck, belonging to the Prince of Bueckeburg, as the most prominent representative of the one breed, while the other breed is represented by several famous stock establishments, among which I will name those of Passow, Weisin, and Lenshow. Here it is proper to remark that several flocks in Pomerania are frequently mentioned in connection with the above named establishments, and are placed as Mechlenburg Negrettis in the same category with the above, as if they belonged to that country. There is no objection to this, if descent and breed are the same; but if it is a question of country as to which the glory of possessing such herds belongs, we must reclaim them as purely Prussian. Among these may be mentioned the flocks of Kenzlin, Sarow,* Klempenow, and others.

In considering the question as to what Mechlenburg may furnish to other countries for the improvement of the breeding of Merino sheep, the first thing will be to determine the characteristics of the two breeds or their representatives in that country. But before entering upon a description of this kind, I deem it necessary to premise some remarks on the way and manner in which I shall express my views in regard to the condition of a flock in the most precise terms in order to make it comprehensible to others.

To form a correct estimate of the value of a sheep, it is necessary to examine separately the various properties on which the worth of the animal depends, and to determine their value. The same method is to be adopted in valuing whole flocks, for in this case a number of animals are to be examined, the correct average ratio of their several properties is to be found, and their own worth and that of the whole flock are to be computed accordingly.

The properties constituting the value of a sheep which shall prove profitable, primarily, by its wool, and, secondarily, by its flesh, either belong to its stature and bodily development, or are connected with the cover of its skin, the wool. The superiority of bodily development is impor tant, not only because it constitutes the extension of the wool field, but also because it invigorates the constitution of the animal, influences its worth for breeding, and, finally, exhances the value of the sheep by the larger quantity of meat. But the worth of wool also depends on its many different properties; and to determine them all with regard to the stature of the animal, by a correct description, and to depict clearly the natural relation of these properties to each other-this is the task of him who undertakes to render a judgment upon a flock of sheep.

* The Sarow flock has lately been removed to Mechlenburg.