534 Mr. Bartley on the Breed of Shep. Sept::

those animals which at present would appear to Stand 50 ex- zemely bigh in his estimation.

At this immature period of the controversy then, T will not presume to anticipate the decision of your intelligent cor- respondents. Pastorius is intitled to fair play, and time ought to be granted him for the purpose of establishing his opinion, by facts and observations, that Leicester Sheep are more profitable farming Stock, than the Merino breed. In the mean time, I conld wish to render bim every asSistance in my power, by the introduction of Such further facts and obszervativns as may occur to me on the oppozite Side, and by fairly conceding to him uch points as may be thought favourable to his argument; and to begin,[ must grant him hat in, point of the relative weight of boue be appears to have obtained an advantage, provided his Statement be cor- rect, and the degree of pinguefaction were Supposed to be equal in both animals; tor certainly the diflerence between one-twentieth and one-tbirteenth is not incousiderable, it would be almost 3Ib. in one hundred weight of mutton, or about 21b. on a carcase of about three guineas in value.

Pastorius, diverging a little from his accustomod habits of temperate reasoning, repeats his Statewent that Anglo-Merino Sheep“ require from three to five years to lay on even a thin covering of fat." Then, triumpbantly interrogating, Says, how does Mr. Bartley disprove this? In the first place,[.beg Jeave to anzwer negatively, that 1 never have Seen the carcase of a Merino Sheep slaughtered of 50 high an age as five

"ears: of every age and deseription the numbers slaughtered are relatively few; perhaps, not more than 1wenty indivi- duals bave come within wy own particular obzervation. I have repeatedly mentioned in the course of our corres-

ondence, that those Sheep are too valuable in the opinion'of the owners to be devoted to the butcher, and the truth is they are never 80 devoted, but with a considerable degree of relüctance; even the wether Sheep, Such as im Selection for propagating the- breed, bave been rejected and castrated. Of this description[ had in my possession four noticed in your No.» page===, with the respective weight of “beir flecces, one of them I slaughtered for the benefit of observation, and three are yet remaining, they StI1 continue to increase greatly in weight of Reece; for instance No. Ill. which 1 then Stated to have produced a fleece of ten pounds and a quarter, hath in the Jast Shear produced thirteen pounds, Again, Sir, you will permit me to answer aflirmatively tbat Merino Sheep require not three to five years to lay ou but a thin covering of fat. I bave Seen them with a very thick covering of fat under two years, and even at less than SIX