woollen goods alone, at this period, from England to Antwerp, amounted £750,000 sterling. In the reign of Henry the Second the weavers who mixed Spanish wool with English were under the penalty of having the fabric produced burned. This clearly establishes the high quality of English wool; and, although we must admit that the Spanish wool was likely to be improved by the introduction of English sheep into Spain, by permission of Edward the Third, still we find that wool from England was imported into Spain for the manufacture of the best cloth then pro duced; and, as we know that Spain and England were then the only wool-growing countries in the world, it is a natural inference that England produced the finest quality. Hence, also, the importation into Flanders, which country then produced a higher quality of woollen fabric than any other. I am now led to consider what kind of wool it is most likely we exported, and I have come to the conclusion it was our Norfolk longwool, as best fitted for making worsted. Again I refer to Mr. James, who quotes from Lord Herbert's life of Henry VIII., "That it was provided that no unwrought wool should be exported out of the kingdom." Yet the Statute Book at this period did not contain any prohibition against the exportation of unwrought wool, except that of Norfolk sheep. For ages extreme attention had been paid to the improvement of the fleece of this breed, upon which depended the staple trade of the district; and because of the fineness and length of the staple, and its particular adaptation for making worsted, it had been much sought after by the continental weavers of worsted, and by various illegal means carried out of the country. Now, however, the export had become so extensive to supply the foreign makers of says, Russels, worsted, &c. as to threaten the extinction of the home manufacture; and a law was passed in the sixth year of Henry VIII., which tended greatly to revive and encourage the drooping domestic manufacture, whereby it was declared "That none should carry beyond the sea any Norfolk wool meet for making worsted or stammins, upon forfeiture of 40s. for every stone of wool so carried beyond the sea." In 1554, a Statute concerning Russels satins and satin reverses recites, "That for late years past there used to be manufactured beyond the sea (of Norfolk wool) and then imported into England, whereby the mysteries of worsted-making and weaving and the merchants and inhabitants of Norwich which were formerly well maintained by the weaving and making of worsteds were reduced very much, such worsted being brought out of estimation and of very little worth either in this reaim or foreign countries, the said satins being worn in lieu thereof. To remedy this, the mayor and certain citizens and merchants (whose names are mentioned) have at their great costs in bringing over strangers, and in making looms for them to work with, produced of Norfolk wool, Russels satins, and satin reverses, and fustians of Naples, to be hereafter called Norwich satins and Norwich fustians." Then follows, "That in consideration of these good services of the mayor and his colleagues, an act was passed creating a fellowship, granting powers to the wardens diligently to view and search and see all the Russels, &c., those truly aud workmanlike wrought, to be sealed with a seal of lead, whereby it might be known to buyers and merchants that the same are allowed to be truly made: such as were defective to be cut in two." James says at page 103, What these peculiar fabrics, now for the first time made in Norwich, were, it is not easy to determine." The satins were perhaps, judging from their name, a glossy article, somewhat resembling bombazin, whose manufacture it seems to be settled the Dutch imported hither in the reign of Queen Eizabeth. Naples was unquestionably noted at this period, 1554, for the luxury of the dress of its inhabitants, and the making of fine worsteds. Hence it may be inferred that these fustians of Naples, afterwards desiguated Norwich fustians, were of fine texture. I cannot define exactly what these particular fabrics were; but the bombazin and Norwich crapes were forty years ago both durable, and the Norwich crape elegant. The bombazin was in texture much like French merino to the eye, but not to the touchto the touch it was rigid; but Norwich crape to the eye was perfection, and came as near to plain Irish peplin as anything I can conceive. In 1622 (James I) a proclamation was issued, which declared that the exportation of wool and woollen yaro, &c., increased foreign manufactures, and brought about the decline an decrease in the sale of our home manu. actures. This proamation forbade exportation altogether,

and is the first for total prohibition. Edward III, for his own royal convenience, only occasionally prohibited exportation for it would appear that, conjointly with his ordinances, he granted licences to export, to certain persons. In the reign of James I., wool fell from 33s. to 18s. per tod. This created such alarm that a special commission enquired into the cause: 1. Why wool had fallen in price? 2. How to prevent the export of wool and woollen yarn? 3. How cloth and stuffs made of our wools might be more generally worn? McPherson, Vol. I., p. 481, writes, "That during the reign of Edward III., the exportation of wool had been probibited, except by Royal licence, which was very liberally made use of; but now (Charles II.) there was a general statutory prohibition in express terms. This," he says, was the first statute prohibiting the export of wool; but an exception was made in favour of the Channel Islands, whither it was allowed to export 3,300 tods of uncombed wools, each tod to contain 32lbs. The stocking manufacture, which had now sprung up in these islands, was no doubt the reason of the indulgence. Sundry penalties were inflicted for the exportation of wool, but still very much found its way into France, where the worsted manufacture could not be sustained without, and every stratagem was used to obtain the wool of England. Long and soft in the staple, it was now, indeed, as necessary for the French manufacture (worsted) ss it had formerly been for that of Flanders." The laws prohibiting the export of wool have never answered the end contemplated; for where there is demand and gain, the contraband trade will continue. Fortery's pamphlet, England's Interest by Trade Asserted," printed in 1671, contains many interesting particulars respecting the contraband trade carried on by the French in our combing wools, and the evils resulting therefrom. Take, for instance, the following passage:"Every pack of wool sent to France doth prevent us not only the benefit of the manufacture thereof, but of two packs more besides itself, viz., thus, it being combing and cobbed wool for the most part exported thither. The French, having no wools of their own, but such as are very coarse, are not able to make fine cloths or stuffs, there being none in all the world fit for that purpose but ours only, except in North Holland, and that a small quantity of fine wool, all others being likewise coarse, but Spanish wool, and that much too fine, especially for worsted stuffs, and not in anywise fit for combing, so that, without English or Irish wools, there can be no quantity of fine worsted stuffs nor a middle sort of cloth made in the world." The Act of 10th and 11th William III., chap. 10, recites that wool, and woollen manufactures, cloth, serge, baize, kerseys, and other stuffs, made or mixed with wool, are the greatest and most profitable commodities of the kingdom. The value of land and the trade of the nation do chiefly depend thereon, and great quantities of the like manufactures have been of late made, and are daily increasing in the king. dom of Ireland and in the English plantations in America, and are exported thence into foreign markets heretofore supplied from England, and which will inevitably sink the value of lands, and tend to the ruin of the trade of the woollen manufactures of this realm." Enactments were passed, subjecting the vessels freighted with such goods from such places to forfeiture, besides inflicting upon all persons aiding or abetting in the export a fine of £500. Do not overlook the fact that there was no prohibition to the export from Ireland and the American plantations to England; it was especially against the export from these countries to foreign states, establishing the fact that the government was jealously alive, as they thought, to the importance of supporting and protecting the wool growers and woollen mauufacturers. Dr. Davenant, a writer of the "Reports to the Commissioners of Accounts," says, "The annual income on which the whole population subsisted, and of which taxes of all kinds were paid, amounted to about £43,000,000, and the yearly rent of the land to £10,000,000." Mr. James thus expresses himself: "What a grand, what an astonishing impression this conveys of the wealth accruing from the handicraft employed in woolproducing merchandise, nearly equal to one-fifth of the whole annual income of the realm, and almost approaching to the value of the land." Gregory King at this period valued the whole of the wool shorn in England at £2,000,000 sterling, aud that of the manufactures from it at £6,000,000, and with the value of the materials at £8,000,000. This estimate is vouched by Dr. Davenant. A manufacturer of Northamptonshire, in 1739, in the reign of George II., says, "The wools of

Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Rutlandshire, part of Hunts, Beds, Bucks, Cambridgeshire, and Romney Marshes, with some parts of Norfolk, have been accounted the longest and finest combing wool. But of late (by the improvement in the breed of sheep and different kind of feeding) there is some large fine combing wool to be found in most of the counties of England." He then speaks of the wool of certain districts in Ireland-Tipperary, Limerick, Kilkenny, Kerry, Waterford, Connaught, and Cork-as no way inferior to the long wool of England, except a small quantity of wool that grew in some parts of Leicester and the south marshes of Lincolnshire, which was longer than any wool grown in any part of England besides, and was of a beautiful shining colour, although long, yet very fine and soft, and bearing an exceeding good gloss, superior to that of any of the wool of Ireland. In the year 1749, the woollen trade was prosperous, and artizans in this manufacture were fully employed. I find, from a table of the average price of Lincolushire wool from 1700 to 1749, that the highest price was 23s., in 1717, per tod of 28lbs., and the lowest 13s. In 1749 the price was 199. 6d. At this period a great change was taking place in the quality of wool grown in England. Long-woolled sheep were more general throughout the kingdom; they were to be found in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Devonshire, Durham, Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Notts, Warwickshire, and other counties. Except in the marsh lands, long wool had ceased to be a peculiar growth of Norfolk, which now, by a strange metamorphosis, supplied excellent materials for cloth. I think I have shown clearly that wool has ever been a most important article of commerce, both in its raw state and when manufactured; nay, I may say the fact is established that wool may be considered the only national staple we possess. Italy has its staple-silk; Portugal and Spain wine (the vine), as also France and the Rhenish provinces; whilst to Spain we may point at an early period of our history as a country competing with us in wool, and also woollen manufactures. In the slight historical sketch I have given, you will recollect I pointed out to you that Spain had greatly benefited by the introduction of our breed of sheep in the reigns of Edward III. and IV. These facts being established, the importance to agriculturists of the question, how we can supply a rising demand for a particular kind of wool-" the lustre wool"-is apparent. To the agriculturists I dare not offer a word of advice touching the encouragement to be given to this or that breed of sheep. I can only convey to them, as a worsted-spinner and manufacturer, a knowledge of the want of this particular kind of wool at the present day. To them I also point out the fact, that our woollen trade has greatly increased; and would still more largely increase had we sufficient of the raw material. To establish this, I draw attention to a circular issued by the Chamber of Commerce of Bradford and the woollen districts, on March 25th, 1859. It commences thus: "The very high price of combing wool has led to the consideration, whether it is not possible to encourage its growth, the high price being attri butable to the consumption of this kind of wool gaining upon its growth." It further states that the Chamber of Commerce is of opinion, that no large additional supply can be expected from the home growers-[this I hope our home growers will prove is an erroneous opinion]-points out from whence supplies might be obtained, and invites the organization of societies, to disseminate amongst the inhabitants of such countries the information on management already at command. In the appendix to this circular is the following declaration: "This Chamber is conscious that the peculiar excellences of our long-wools are dependent upon our tempe. rate and humid climate and succulent grasses." In February, 1861, another circular was issued, entitled "Address of the Wool-supply Association of the Bradford and Halifax Chambar of Commerce, to all Parties interested in the growth of Colonial and other Foreign Wools." In this document they again speak of an inadequate supply of long-wool. The wool required should, they say, have a staple from four to seven inches in length, of uniform quality throughout its whole length, and bright and lustrous in appearance. In addressing foreign growers they point to the fact-(not to be overlooked is this account)—that "the flocks" should be pastured as much as possible upon succulent grasses, similar to those grown in Great Britain; the object being to get a bright lustrous wool. Your attention having been drawn to the demand for this particular kind of wool, the home supply of

which you have been informed is outgrown by the demand for home consumption, besides our having customers from France and Germany, the question arises, Does this demand for a national staple assume a character and dimensions sufficiently interesting to farmers to justify them in considering whether wool may not be a product more and more worthy of attention as the means to the end of rendering their operatious more profitable? I have been much impressed by some remarks made by Mr. Cobden, upon the occasion of a trial of steam ploughs which recently took place in the Lothians. "What is it," he says, "that constitutes the prosperity of agriculture, or any other pursuit ? It is to have a flourishing and increasing number of customers;" and he points to the fact that your largest consumers are the manufacturing, mining, and industrial population of this country. Further, he remarks, addressing as he was a large and influential number of agriculturists, "I need not tell you, who are so far advanced in the science of agriculture, that that which lies at the very foundation of all scientific agriculture is the large and constantly increasing production of the manureproducing animals-the cattle and sheep which you rear on your land: hence it becomes a question whether, with the present increased consumption of wool in England, and also the increased consumption of mutton and beef in some districts [and I emphasize some districts], it would not be more profitable to the farmers to turn their attention more to the growth of wool, mutton, and beef, which under certain conditions of soil, &c., might be more profitable than wheat, particularly as the foreign markets for wheat are extensively open to us; and may I not here remark, that wheat, possessing a character (by a merciful dispensation of Providence) adapting it for cultivation in all climes where civilized man becomes resident, and can therefore be almost universally grown, is as a product of land, contrasted with wool, less under the influence of climate, and therefore open to more general growth. I think we have no fear of any want of cereal produce; but unless the English agriculturist bestirs himself, we may justly apprehend the scarcity of English long-wools; and as they have not yet been grown in any other country to the same perfection, arising, as we have evidence, partly from the pasturage, partly from the breed, and also (generally) from the care taken of long-wools, I do think the agriculturist will not think me intrusive in urging the consideration of this question upon him." An intelligent farmer resident in Yorkshire kindly furnished me with the following; "The lustrous condition of wool depends much on cleanliness, and here attention is required from the shepherd. Such attention would be highly remunerative." Another writes: "This wool, the lustre, is grown both from Lincolns and Leicesters, and also a cross between the two from hoggets, and a great deal depends upon the cleanness of the sheep and the land they are grazed and fed upon, more than upon the breed of long-woolled sheep. When it is bright-haired and glossy, we can always sell it for more money. The best class of hogg's wool about Ripon generally commands the best price in this district, but I think it is chiefly owing to the land they feed upon." This statement is confirmed by many others. Leicester rams have been sent out to India, China, &c. ; but from my own knowledge the wool deteriorates in length after the first cross, and can only be kept up in anything like length by great care and attention. A gentleman from Leicestershire, whose operations are devoted exclusively to sheep, has given me some interesting particulars bearing upon the subject. Being totally unacquainted with the causes which lead to the demand for the particular kind of wool now in great request, he spoke of the increased value of wool generally, and said that his profits were incident alone and dependent entirely upon the production of mutton and wool. Beef was a simple addendum, not particularly note-worthy in tile point of view, inasmuch as on his farm the fleece alone paid his rent. Taxing him with his estimate of profits, I asked him whether there was not an indirect element overlooked? and he ultimately admitted that, apart from the mutton and wool, there was an indirect profit incident to the fact that the manure-producing animal gave back to the soil as much as, if not more than, was taken from it. I think the landlords will notice this assertion. This statement, to my mind, as a mere man of commerce, appeared anomalous; but he fortified his declaration by saying that a soil but slightly prolific became abundantly fertile through the droppings of sheep; in other words,

8 mercan

sheep which produced lustrous wool was an animal that was peculiarly adapted to the lowlands of Lincolnshire. On that point he would presently read to them the opinion of a very able writer about 50 years ago, who was also a very excellent breeder of stock. The Lincoln sheep which then produced this lustrous wool was, he believed, a sheep of narrow form, flat sides, very large bones, and thick skin; an animal which required a longer period to fit it for the butcher than the sheep which had a correct form, good fore-quarters, a broad back, and a good quality of skin, at the same time that it produced a good quality of wool. The same principle might still be observed and carried out in cattle and swine, and also in the horse. In the pig, a coarse thick skin invariably covered a coarse fibrous flesh. So, also, with regard to the Lincoln sheep, that was especially adapted to produce lustrous wool; that, he contended, was not the kind of sheep which was required in the present day (Hear, hear). Those who bred such sheep produced wool at the sacrifice of mutton. It required a larger amount of mutton to produce a pound of wool than would be required if they were not producing this lustrous wool. Mr. Robert Smith, who was present, knew the Lincoln sheep better than he (Mr. Hobbs) knew them; but there were other gentlemen present, who lived in Lincolnshire; and though Lincoln flocks had been improved of late years, he believed that to produce a pound of lustre wool in the spring of the year would require 4lbs. of mutton. He thought Mr. Smith would agree with him that a hogget of Leicester form, with early maturity, was ready for the butcher in the month of May; whereas, a sheep producing this lustre wool would not be ready for the butcher till the month of July. In that case there would be eight weeks' additional keep to supply. He believed the Lincoln graziers fed their sheep with from 1lb. to 14lb. of cake per day. Ät all events it might be assumed that there was an outlay of 9d. per week for oilcake, and they might set down the rest at 3d. (A voice: "Sixpence.") Well, he would say 6d., making 1s. 3d., which in eight weeks would amount to 10s. Now, in those two months how many pounds of wool did the lustrous old-fashioned Lincoln sheep produce? It certainly did not produce more than 4lbs. of wool; nor did he believe it would produce so much. He contended that the sheep possessing the Leicester character would come to maturity better, and fetch a better price of mutton in the month of May, than the old Lincoln, with lustre fleece, would in the month of July, and that they were losing 48. in mutton for the sake of gaining an extra quantity of wool. But, independently of that, let them look at the loss sustained in the quality of mutton by having a lustrous fleece. When he first acted as a judge at an agricultural meeting, being then very young, he happened to act with an old judge, whose words he well remembered. It was in the county of Bedford, and they had before them a pen of old lustrous Lincoln sheep. His friend requested him to put his hand on the back of one of these Lincoln sheep, and said to him, "If you made a hole there, and put a quill in it, you might suck it as you would an orange " (laughter). When they got these Lincolns, with their lustrous fleeces, they usually had an inferior quality of mutton (Hear, hear). Bell's Weekly Messenger of that-day told them that the difference between the price of Lincoln sheep and that of Southdowns was ld, per lb.; and although the farmers of England were very desirous of assisting the manufacturers as far as they could, and if possible, of obtaining a better return for their wool, they must take care not to sacrifice the quantity and quality of mutton in endeavouring to increase the production of wool. He thought he was not saying too much with regard to the quality of the mutton of Lincoln sheep. His old friend on his left (Mr. Skelton) gave him just now a very humorous description of the quality of the mutton of the Lincoln sheep. He said it was some of the best mutton in the world; that if killed at Christmas, and hung up for twelve weeks, and then interlarded with five score of oysters, it would be found wonderfully good stuff (laughter). In relation to quality, he would now read what was said by an able writer 50 years ago. At that period Mr. George Culley said:

"The rich fatting marshes in Lincolnshire are, beyond any other county I know of in the island, best adapted to the growing and forcing of long heavy wool. This, with the high price that kind of wool had given, previous to the American war, very probably induced the sheep breeders of that county to pursue it so ardently in preference to every other requisite,

that they neglected the form of the carcase and inclination to make readily fat; essentials, that the other sheep-breeding counties were under a necessity of attending to, otherwise they could not have got them made fat in proper time, from their land not being in general near so rich as the Lincolnshire marshes. In short, the Lincolnshire breeders, by running so much upon wool and large bones, had got their sheep like their black horses-two great ends, a long thin weak middle; and lost the thick firm barrel-like carcase, broad flat back, fine clean small bone, and inclination to make fat." There was also the following note, in reference to the writer's travels:

"On asking a butcher's wife, at Bury, in Suffolk, how she sold mutton? smartly. And pray, replied I (rather surprised at the high Five pence a pound, Sir! answered she, price), have you no mutton below five-pence? O yes, Sir! rejoins the honest woman, plenty of Lincolnshires, at fourpence; but we do not account it mutton, when compared with our Norfolk or Suffolk mutton."

(Laughter.) That was in former days. Their friend Mr. Skelton would, no doubt, tell them that since that period there had been a great improvement in the Lincoln sheep ("Hear, hear," from Mr. Skelton); an improvement which was effected by book from which he had just quoted was an old one. He crossing with the Leicesters. It might be objected that the would refer to a prize essay, written a few years ago for the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, by a gentleman that was well known to all present (Mr. Robert Smith), an essay which was highly appreciated, at the time, by agriculturists throughout the country. Mr. Smith there said :

"The Long-Wools are principally classed under the head of Lincolns, New Oxfords, Cotswolds, Tees waters, and Kents. The long-woolled Lincolns were formerly the chief or only variety produced in the county; they seemed formed for the then rich marshy soils or cold situations (there being little or no heath-land under cultivation), and their principal property was their long, strong wool to protect them against the vicissitudes of the eastern winds upon their bleak open pastures during the winter-months. They were further known by their large white heads and ears, long thin carcase, with exceedingly large bone; and from their wool-bearing propensity, they were scarcely ever fattened previously to the third year. In consequence of the rapid advances of our manufactures in the production of finer woollens, and the altered tastes of the people, this breed of animals has happily gone nearly out of fashion; some few are yet to be found in the neighbourhood of Louth, Caistor, and Boston, and are sought after by some breeders, who sell their lamb-hogs in the spring to the marsh graziers, to be by them fattened-if possible."

Now, there had been a good deal of discussion on this subject privately in that Club. One day he asked Mr. Bell, who was one of the oldest members of the wool trade, as well as a member of the Club, whether if he were to show him a map of England, he could not trace out with a pencil the districts where lustrous wool could be grown to greatest advantage? The reply was in the affirmative, and that in no other parts of England could such wool be produced profitably. He (Mr. Hobbs) bred Leicester sheep for many years in the county of Essex, and he did all he could to maintain the natural character of the wool. The lustrous character of the fleece gradually disappeared, and he at length became convinced that it was useless to contend against the course of nature. He trusted that the farmers of England would pay due attention to this point. They might be very willing to listen to any suggestions with regard to the increased production of wool, but to ask them to sacrifice the mutton was a very different matter. He was very glad that he had requested his friend Mr. Anderton to introduce this subject; but he thought it would be found that neither the Lincolns, Leicesters, nor the Cotswolds, however they might be treated, would enable farmers generally, with the peculiarities of climate and situation, to supersede the short-wools of the south of England (cheers).

Mr. WARD (Drayton, Rockingham) said, as farmers they must all feel indebted to Mr. Anderton for having come forward to point out to them the kind of wool which in his opinion might be grown most advantageously; but the difficulty which they had to deal with was in obtaining a proper soil for growing lustre wool (Hear, hear.) It seemed very extra

ordinary, but it was a fact, that long-wool might be produced from a district extending for 70 miles, and that after that it unavoidably became short (Hear, hear.) He could not quite agree with Mr. Hobbs in what he said about the Liuculu sheep. The Leicester and Lincoln sheep were almost the only sheep that could produce the kind of wool that Mr. Anderton thought they ought all to endeavour to produce. They were told by Mr. Hobbs that these sheep were all of very bad quality.

Mr. HOBBS said he spoke of the old Lincolns, not of the improved ones.

Mr. WARD continued: For his own part he must say that being in the habit of going into Lincolnshire in the spring, he found better sheep at the Lincoln fairs than any where else. Within the last three or four years he had seen three or four hundred tegs pitched in a pen and sold at three guineas apiece. Lincoln sheep could not, therefore, be so bad as Mr. Hobbs seemed to suppose (laughter.) Many tegs in Lincolashire weighed 14 stones, and some as much as 17 stones in April, when they were a year old. From the paper which had been read they learnt that the wool which fetched the highest price was goat's wool. According to that they ought to keep goats instead of sheep (laughter).

The CHAIRMAN: What breed of sheep do you patronize ?

Mr. WARD replied that he had no particular breed; his sheep were Leicesters, and he touched them up slightly with the best Lincolns (laughter).

Mr. UNWIN (Colchester) observed that there was no branch of trade or manufactures in this country which had commanded in past times so much attention as the worsted and woollen trade. The growth and cultivation of wool also had occupied the leisure of the affluent, and the skill and sagacity of the agriculturist from time immemorial. Notwithstanding the fiscal reforms which had of late years been carried out, thereby securing free ingress into this country for the produce of every part of the world, the British farmer enjoyed at the present moment what amounted to a monopoly of the growth of long wool. This is simply owing to the fact that no other country possesses such skilful agriculturists, and no other climate or soil in the world has been found so suitable for producing long wool in perfection as Great Britain. There was now no royal woolstapler, as in the reign of some of our earlier monarchs, to dictate the price at which wool should be sold. There was therefore a wider scope for the extension of the growth of wool and the breeding of sheep than there was in any other department of agricultural enterprise and production; and he thought it both the interest and duty of the British farmer to increase the production of these articles to the largest possible extent. The augmented value of lustrous wool was owing to the introduction of an entirely new branch of manufactures; he referred to the manufacture of alpaca. Mr. Salt, the owner of Saltaire, was the first purchaser of alpaca in this country, and the first to convert it into beautiful fabrics. The extensive use of alpaca gradually led to an increased demand for Lincoln wool, for the purpose of mixing with alpaca, and the manufacturing of fabrics of a lustrous appearauce. The result of this great demand for Lincoln wool has been to change the relative positions which fine and coarse long wool formerly occupied, and enhance the price of heavy Lincoln wool far above the fine Southdown, so that at the present moment Southdown wool is selling in

Bradford at 1s. 8d., and Lincoln fleece is selling at 1s. 11d. Fashion was, as they all knew, very capricious and uncertain, and it would be very unwise in farmers to change their system altogether, because a particular kind of manufactured article happened to be for the time most in favour. He would advise them to use their own judgment and discrimination in the matter, and select that class of sheep which was most adapted to their diversified localities, and which would produce the most mutton and the beat wool. Having had thirty-five years' experience in the wool trade, he had never known Down ewe fleeces fetching a higher price than they did at this moment, evidencing that all classes of wool participated in the present brisk demand. Such was the extension of the demand for worsted and woollen manufactures that there seemed to be no limit to the consumption of sheep's wool, while obtainable at a fair price. Last year, whilst the home growth was estimated at 157,000,000lbs., the importations amounted to 147,000,000 lbs. The estimate of the amount of wool

They

produced in Great Britain was based on a supposed average yield of 4 lbs. per fleece from 35,000,000 sheep. He thought the average was not less than 5lbs,; and if that were the case, there would be produced annually in this country 175,000,000 lbs., of the value of £10,000,000 to £12,000,000 sterling. It was almost impossible to magnify or exaggerate the national importance of this branch of our industrial enterprise. It was equally important to the interest and success of the grazier and breeder of sheep to endeavour to ascertain what description of sheep was most adapted to produce, in the locality in which he might be situate, the most delicate flesh, combined with the greatest weight of carcase and fleece. Those were the points to which they should direct their attention. No doubt the county of Lincoln was best adapted for the growth of heavy lustrous wool, in consequence of its rich pastures and greasy soil. The Lincoln sheep had a preference for a soil of that nature, and it suited and stimulated the growth of wool, and assisted to impart to it its gloss or lustre. There were, perhaps, other parts of the kingdom where Lincoln sheep might flourish, but it was limited in extent. might perhaps be kept to advantage in the lower lands of Essex or Romney marshes in Kent; but it is a question whether the Kentish grazier would be benefited by substi tuting the Lincoln breed for his own native one, the Kent. He would say to the Lincolnshire gentlemen, so long as they can obtain from £3 to £4 for the carcase, and one guinea for the fleece, stick to the Lincoln sheep. He would say to the Sussex, Wiltshire, and part of Norfolk and Suffolk graziers and breeders, till you can find a class of sheep more suitable to your close herbage and dry soils than the close-coated brown-face sheep, and one that would be more profitable, adhere to your Southdowns. Mr. Hobbs has referred to his own experience in the matter. He had at the period mentioned one of the finest parks in the county of Essex for the growth of Down wool. Mr. Hobbs introduced the Leicester breed, and in spite of his superior management and acknowledged skill and judgment as a grazier, they soon began to degenerate, and every year they became worse. Both sheep and wool lost in weight and quality, because the grasses were not sufficiently rich to sustain the growth of wool, and permanently to produce long wool sheep and wool. This would be the case wherever the experiment might be tried, if the animals were not kept fully up to the mark by rich pasturage, or very high feeding on heavy soils.

Mr. R. SMITH (Emmett's Grange, South Molton) said, the description quoted by Mr. Hobbs from his prize essay, written fifteen or sixteen years ago, was applied to an animal which was fast going out of repute and out of use, the old Lincoln sheep. (Hear, hear). These sheep had like other animals, lost their roughness with the improved and improving character of the age. He would just read to them another part of his essay, which applied to the subject under discussion. He first spoke of the different breeds of sheep in England, their capabilities, their uses, and the effects of climate. He said, that if any one were to take a map of this island and begin in the north, he would soon find a cold region, and sheep adapted to the peculiarities of the climate; that in the midland counties he would find another kind of sheep; and that on the chalky soils, where southern winds and sun prevailed, there dependent on soil and climate. The mountain range, where was again another variety: the whole product being thus

he now resided, was found to be suitable for a particular breed of sheep. They knew, he might remark, by observation, that if a farmer removed from east to west or from west to east, in nine cases out of ten there was failure. The dry busbandry of youth practised in the East did not answer in the West, and vice versa. The Scotchman for that reason, and therefore not unfrequently went back who came South from a much moister climate, did not succeed again (laughter). These were practical truths, and they must not be overlooked. Now, in relation to this subject, he wrote at page 25 of the Journal for 1847 :

"From close observation I have found the quality and quaetity of wool to be governed by the quality or description of flesh upon the animal; hence certain wool and certain mutton go together: further, so often as the wool is observed to change upon the back or otherwise of the sheep, so does the