1805.) On the Breeding of Sheep: 235 perties of these two kinds of Sheep. And when'we conzider that the most zealous advocates tor Spanish-Sheep, have not maintained that they are better in the carcase, or that theg have a better propensity to take on fat, than the vouth-downs and other British Sheep; but merely, that owing to the Supe- rior value of their Heeces, they are more profitable than any of our native breeds: 1 cannot See how your correspondent can reasonably dispute my power of jJudging as to their merits, at a time when the nature and value of their wool, have been particularly describea in publications eirculating in almost

1

ine enor-

every corner of the kingdom. Now as the friends of the Merino blood, formed t

mous estimates of profit derived from it, merely on the Supe-

rior value of the fleece; most of which, they Say, is worth

from 58 to 68 per Ib, because it can be produced in Britain of as fine a quality as that imported from Spain,(waich Sells

readily at these prices,) 1 must again conterd, that if Such

large Nocks of Spanish crossed Sheep as would Supply our(ine

„cloth manufactories, were kept in Britain, the price of the* finest wool wonld greatly decline, wbile that of the coarser Sorfs. wobld rise. Because, we would not only have the Spa-

nish markets open to us, but a large Supply of the former Sort, of our own growth; and because thesge fine wooled Sheep

would necessarily displace a proportionate number of our naä- -, j: tL

üve breeds.

IEL were to assert that I could raise as abundant crops of Sugar in Berwickshire, as in the West India Islands,(aud, perhaps, that county is as congenial to the growth of that ar- ticle, as most of Scotland is to the vearing ol Spanish-Sheep,) You would, perhaps, Suspect that Something near my crunium was in a diSordered State. For the Sake of argument, however, allow me to Suppose that in this cdunty, 1 could raise Sugar as zell as in the West Indies; and that im Btitain, we could produce enough, for our own demand, upon one million of aecr6s of our bet com Soils." Now, could it. be maintained, under these circumstances, that it would be right to calculate on the common prices of Sugar and grain, in our comparative estimates ol profit in the culture ot these articles? Undoubt- edly, Sir, Such caleulations w ould be fallacious, for It 1s clear, that Sugar would decline in value, while corn would rise. This argument arises not irom theoretical Speculation, but from the application of one of thie Simplest and plainest prmciples of political economy--prineiples which are as applicable to wool, as to Sugar, or any otlier commodity--to Britain as to all Parts of Kurope--and to America, as to tbe whole civilized world. 1s is a prünciple laid down by Dr. Adam Smith, te Earl of