$26 On Fine Woolled Sheep.[May,

gree tending to promote the extension of the fincr manufac- tures, more especially in foreign trade.

But all this may be considered merely as an assumption scarcely possible to be verified in fact, supposing it practicable in its nature, for there is and ever will be a diversity of senti- ment on the subject, sufficient to prevent any thing like a sudden, or very extensive alteration of system, nor is such an alteration by any means necessary.

[ imagine the principle object of the advocates for the in- troduction of clothing wool sheep, is, that we might be en- abled to produce within ourselves, a quantity of wool, answer- able to that which we have hitherto been under the necessity of purchasing at foreign markets, whereby a million to a mil- jion and a half sterling annually might be saved to the coun- try in the balance of trade; a consideration of some importance; but this is not all, our manufacturers would be more regularly and certainly supplied at all times, and more moderate and equitable prices, to say nothing of a variety of contingencies, now more than ever to be apprehended from the jealousy, the rivalship, and the ambition of foreigners, particularly of the French, who, sanctioned by the immediate patronage and en- couragment of government, are actually extending the breed of Spanish sheep with all imaginable energy.,

But introduce a number of fine woolled sheep equal to an- swer the present annual import of wool from foreigners would not probably require to dispiace more than one twentieth of the aggregate flocks of the united kingdom. Some Authors of acknowledged reputation in ceconomical arethmetic, esti- mate the flocks in Great Britain alone to consist of 20 million.*

Now the wool of one million at 4 lb. per fleece, amounts to 4 million pounds weight, which may be taken to be some- what about the average annual import from Spain; 4|b. per fleece however is a moderate estimate, and intended so to be, for allowance of waste in scouring,&c, nor does the subject require fractional minutia. To notice another objection how- ever that hath sometimes been.started, namely, admitting the qualty to improve without degeneracy, yet that the quantity of wool would be greatly diminished, 1 would beg leave just to remark, for the information of those who have not had the op- portunity of experience, that the reverse is precisely the fact.

Spanish sheep carry a heavier weight of fleece in proporti- on to the weight of the carcase than any other, and by$ or 4 repeated crossings with othersheep, the offspringsare brought to mueh about the same standard, For a general idea, the weight of

the unwashed fleece mightbe reckoned at about 1-10th+ of the

* See Communication to the Board of Agriculture, Vol. 1. + I have now a wether theep in my pofleffion, the unwafhed fleece of whieh in ray ts 1801, weighed upwards of glb. she living carcafe, atter clipping 2°