quantity of fine wool, the produce of German Merino sheep, was im. ported into this country from Hamburgh, and used by our manu. facturers as a substitute for Spanish wool. In truth, some of this wool was so fine that it carried in the British market as high a price as the best Spanish piles were sold for, in times of peace and amity. In the year 1787, the king, guid. ed by those patriotic motives which are ever active in his majesty's mind, gave orders for the importa. tion of Merino sheep for his own use, and for the improvement of British wool; as it was doubtful at that time whether the king of Spain's licence, without which these sheep cannot be embarked at a Spanish port,could be obtained, it was deem ed advisable to make the first purchases in the parts of Estremadura adjoining to Portugal, and to ship the sheep for England at Lisbon. The first importation of these valuable animals arrived in March 1788, and a little flock of them was soon after completed; but as these were of various qualities, having been draughted from different Cavañas, his majesty was pleased to order an application to be made to the king of Spain by lord Auckland, then his majesty's minister at that court, for permission to import some sheep draughted from one of the prima piles. This was obtained, and a little flock, consisting of 36 ewes, 4 rams, and 1 manso, arrived safe and well at Dover, in 1791. These sheep had made a part of the Cavaña called Negrette, one of the three piles restricted from exportation, and which is likewise remarkable for producing the largest carcassed sheep that are to be found among the Merino flocks, as has been before stated. On the receipt of this treasure, for such it has since proved itself to be, the king, with his usual prudence and foresight, ordered the whole of the sheep that had been procured by the way of Porta. gal to be disposed of, which was immediately doue, and directed the Negrette breed to be increased as much as possible, and maintained in its utmost purity. From that time to the present the opinion of the public, some. times perhaps too unwary, and at others too cautious, in appreciating the value and adopting the use of novel kinds of sheep, has gradually inclined to give that preference to the Merinos which is so justly their due. At first it was impossible to find a purchaser willing to give even a moderate priee either for the sheep or for their wool; the shape of the sheep did not please the graziers, and the wool staplers were utterly unable to judge of the merit of the wool, it being an article so many times finer and more valuable than any thing of the kind that had ever before passed through their hands. l'he butchers, however, were less timor. ous; they readily offered for the sheep, when fat, a fair mutton price; and there are two instances in which when the fat stock agreed for was exhausted, the butcher who had bought them anxiously inquired for more, because he said the mutton was so very much ap proved of by his best customers. It was not, however, till the year 1804, thirteen years after their first introduction, that it was deem. ed practicable to sell them by auc. tion, the only certain means of placing animals in the hands of those persons who set the highest value upon them, and are consequently the most likely to take proper care of them. The attempt, however, succeeded; and the prices given demonstrated, that some at least of his majesty's subjects had at that time learned to put a due value on the benefit his royal patriotism offered to them. One of the rams sold at the first sale for 42 guineas, and 2 of the ewes for 11 guineas each; the average price at which the rams sold was £19. 4s. and that of the ewes £8. 15s. 6d. each. This most useful mode of distribution has since that time been annually continued, and the sales have taken place in August. The last sale was held on the 17th of August, 1808, when the highest price given for a ram was £74. 11s. for an ewe £38. 17s. The average price of rams was £33 10s. 1d. of owes £23. 12s. 5d.; a most decisive proof not only that the flock had risen very materially in public estimation, but also that the sheep have not in any way degenerated from their original excellence. The wool was at first found to be quite as difficult of sale as the sheep themselves; manufacturers were therefore employed to make a considerable quantity of it into cloth, which, when finished, was allowed by both woollen-drapers and tailors to be quite as good as cloth made from wool imported from Spain. But even this proof would not satisfy the scruples of the wool buyers, or induce them to offer a price at all adequate to the real value of the article; it was found necessary, therefore, to have the wool scowered, and to sell it in that state as Spanish wool, which, though grown in England, it really was; thus managed, the sales were easily effected for some years, at a price equal to that demanded for the prima piles of imported Spanish wool at the times when the bargains were made. Time and patience have at last superseded all difficulties, and his majesty's wool has now been sold as clipped from the sheep's backs, the sheep have been washed, and the whole management of them carried on exactly in the English manner, at a price not lower than 4s. 6d. a pound, which allowing for the loss of weight in the scowering and sorting, costs the buyer at least 5s. 6d. a pound, a tolerable price for Spanish wool when plenty of it could be produced, though not possibly so high a one as ought to have been given, or as will be obtained for the Anglo. Negrette pile, when the value of the article is fully understood. The race of another capital Cavana has now been added to the riches of this country, the Paular, and the draught from it is larger than on any other occasion has been suffered to leave Spain; the animals have been selected with skill and attention, the pile they belong to stands at the very top of our English list, and the sheep have been most fortunately placed at the disposal of our most gracious king, whose shepherds have demonstrated to the public, in an experience of 17 years of their management of these interesting animals, that they can not only continue the breed in its original purity, but can also preclude all danger of degeneration in the article of wool. What morecan be wished for on this head? 3F3 On On the Advantages to be derived from Heath in the Feeding of Stock, and on the Importance of the Maple-tree, by the Rer. James Hall. [From the same.] IN the course of my experiments on furze, broom, rushes, bean. straw, and a variety of other arti. cles that are generally reckoned of little use, I have found that if heath be cut when young and in blcom, and the finer parts infused in a teapot, it produces a liquid, not only grateful to the taste and well fla. voured, but extremely wholesome, and, in many points of view, preferable to the tea that comes from China.' As I was anxious to know how far fine young heath might be use ful to cattle, I bribed a poor man to confine his cow, that I might try the experiment on her. When first tied up, the cow refused to eat any of the heath, except the very finest part; nor did she seem to relish a rich infusion of it that was set before her. When she be came a little hungry, however, she first drank the infusion, aud then began to eat the heath. Having watched and observed her nar rowly, I shall only say, that she lived nearly two weeks on this food solely; and I have no doubt but that she could have lived much longer, had it been necessary. She gave less milk, it is true, while she lived solely on heath; but then what the milk lost in quantity, was amphy made up by the quality of what she gave. I made a similar experiment with a couple of sheep, and an old horse, and found the effect nearly the same; only the sheep drank but little of the in fusion. Having Thus satisfied that cattle may be supported for a time by young heath, if cut while in bloom, I proceeded to ascertain how far this plant is capable of retaining its valuable qualities, when dried and laid up. With a view to this, I cut some in the end of summer, when heath is generally at its best, 'and dried it in the shade. kept this nearly two years, I found it produced an infusion equally strong and well flavoured as at first. Another parcel, after being kept three years, supported a cow more than a week, and produced an infusion not inferior to the former. The quality too of this cow's milk was uncommonly im. proved both in taste and flavour by the heath. On chopping, and putting quan. tities of fine young heath, cut down while in bloom, into a vat, or mash-tub, and pouring boiling water on it, there is produced an infusion, not only rich and pleasant, but capable of being made the basis of various valuable liquids. Those, therefore, who live in the vicinity of heath, have only to burn a sufficient quantity of the old, in order to have as much young as they think proper. The smooth. er and more even the surface of the place they burn, the better. If any of the stumps of the old heath remain after it is burnt, they should, some way or other, be removed. The ashes of the old heath become an excellent manure, and, generally, cause a fine young crop to spring up. When two or three years old, this should be cut down with the scythe, and as much much as possible dried in the shade. If quantities of this be put into a vat, or mash-tub, with boiling water, a very considerable quantity of strong and small beer may be procured, as well as spirits by distillation, which, on be. ing put into casks, may be carried home, and laid up for use. What of the fine young heath is not used in this way, may either be secured on the spot, or carried home, to be given to cattle when fodder becomes either scarce or dear. With a sufficient stock of this article, the lean cattle on a farm may not only be supported, in the event of a severe winter or spring, but also those in good condition prevented from becoming otherwise. Heath intended for this purpose should, however, be carefully stacked up, and kept close; otherwise it becomes less valuable. In the course of my experiments on trees, I have often been surprised that the cultivation of the sugar-maple is not more encou. raged in the interior and highlands of Scotland. In many parts of America, where the winters are cold, and neither the climate nor the soil better than in Scotland, the maple-tree thrives exceedingly. Indeed the soil in Scotland, in many places, seems admirably calculated for the introduction and culture of this highly valuable, and hardy, yet fast-growing tree. The maple, which thrives best in hedge-rows, and in almost all soils and exposures, may be propa. gated either by seeds, or by slips. Notwithstanding its rapid growth, the maple is generally near 20 years before it is at its best. How To ever, often before it is half that age, very considerable quantities of juice are extracted from it. procure which, bore a hole in the tree with a small augur, into which insert a spout, and put a trough, or some thing under it to receive the juice. Having collected this every night, and carried it to the large tub or vessel in or near the wood, prepared to receive it, after being strained, let it be boiled, which is the shortest, and perhaps the best way of obtaining the sugar. The juice of the maple generally flows during four or five weeks. What comes from an or dinary tree may produce about 20lbs. of sugar, annually. Now, as an hundred trees, particularly if planted in what is termed the quincunx method, may be reared per acre, the sugar produced, though sold at 6d. per pound, will fetch nearly £50. in cash to the proprietor. I am of opinion, however, that in many places the produce would be considerably more. But the profit of the maple-tree is not confined to sugar alone. It affords also a most agreeable molasses, and an excellent vinegar, while the sap that is suitable for these purposes is obtained after that, which affords the sugar, has ceased to flow; so that the manufacture of these different products of the maple-tree, by succeeding, do not interfere with one another. Part of the molasses might either be made the basis of an excellent beer; or, by distillation, be converted into spirits; while the rest, with the refuse of the sugar, might be applied to the feeding of sheep, cattle, pigs, and the like, as well as to a variety of other valuable purposes. If mixed with strong infusions of fine young heath, and given to them.not one of a thousand of the cattle in Scotland would die in a severe winter, or spring, that but too frequently do. The maple-tree, fortunately, is not in the least hurt by tapping. On the contrary, the oftener it is tapped the better. A yearly dis. charge of sap from the tree, instead of hurting it, is found to im. prove its growth, and make it yield the more. This is proved by experience, as well as by the superior excellence of those trees which have been perforated in a thousand places by a small wood. pecker that feeds on the sap. Nor is this all. From the saccharine matter they contain, the leaves and twigs of the maple tree are calculated to afford food for cat. tle. In America, when they are beginning a farm, or when a sufficient stock of hay has not been laid up for the winter, cattle often live on the leaves and twigs of the maple. Hence, in more points of view than one, this species of wood seems worthy of attention and room; particularly in those districts where the breeding and rearing of cattle is the principal object, Owing to the rugged nature of the ground, the want of roads, and of water-carriage, in many of the interior and highlands of Scotland, wood is often of no value at all. In the county of Banf, for instance, where I resided several years, I have seen trees sold at a shilling each, that in the vicinity of water-carriage, of a good road, or, even of a small village, would have brought ten times that sum; and I have known trees, that is the vicinity of any tolerably large town, or village, would have been worth four or five pounds each, that scarcely brought as many shil. lings. The truth is, the difficulty of removing wood is such that, though fully grown, and of the very best quality.yet it is not worth the felling. Now, as there are thousands of acres of wood in si. tuations of this kind, in many dif ferent parts of Scotland, might not such be burnt or otherwise destroyed, and maple planted in its stead? Being yearly bled, the maple would produce a considera. ble degree of nourishment both for man and beast; and, consequently, be an advantage to the country at large as well as to the landholders. Were there a want of hands in the country, there would be some excuse for neglecting improvements of this kind; but this is not the case; as there are many, in va. rious parts, that know not what to do, nor where to look for employment. But it is not too late: and it is to be hoped that some. thing will be done for them, in the way of finding them employment. There is such a thing as being lost amidst the fervour of fanciful discoveries, and of being carried away by an imagination guided only by vanity; and there is such a thing, I know, as experimental trifling; yet I think I may venture to say, that if, along with the instructions of the Board of Agriculture, and the Highland Society, the cultiva tion of the maple-tree, and the va rious uses to which fine young heath might be applied, were at tended to, many of the tracks of heath and glens in Scotland would |