was not strictly original, but which would be very important to diffuse the knowledge of in a country where foreign books upon agriculture are difficult to obtain. Our newspapers also frequently contain many useful discoveries, the memory of which get lost for want of a repository for them. I am, dear sir, &c. ROB. R. LIVINGSTON. EZRA L'HOMMEDIEU, Esq. } Vice Pres. of the Society. Letter, containing experiments on the subject of Sheep, by the President of the Society. DEAR SIR, HAVING CLERMONT, 4th June, 1806. AVING endeavored to convince the Society of the advantages that would result from the introduction of Spanish sheep, I think it will be useful to lay before them the experiments that I have just concluded. My flock consists of 45 sheep-5 full bred Spanish sheep, to wit: two rams, two old ewes that have lambs, and one ewe lamb of last year; 8 three-quarter bred ewes, whose wool is nearly as fine as that of the full bred, except that which they carry on their thighs, which as on our sheep, is not entirely free from hairs; 13 half-bred lambs of last year, four of which have lambs, and 19 common sheep of a very good stock, all, except. two of these, are ewes.. The five full bred sheep gave me 22 lb. of wool, that is, each 4 lb. and three lambs, one of which died. The 8 ewes of three-quarter blood, gave 29 lb. of wool, and 8 lambs, that is 3 lb. each. The 13 half blood lambs, 50 lb. ar something more. than 33 lb. of wool each, and four lambs. The 19 common sheep, .60 lb. of wool, or a trifle more than 3 lb. each, and 16 lambs... The sheep were well washed before they were shorn, and the tags, &c. not counted. Now, Sir, taking the mere quantity of wool, the advantage was greatly on the side of the Spanish sheep and the mixtures with that race; but ealculating their value by the English prices of wool, it will be infinitely greater. The price of Spanish wool is 6. sterling in London; the average value then, of each sheep, 44 lb. is 25/6 sterling, without the lambs. The average of the three-quarter bred, 3 lb. supposing their wool to be half the price of Spanish wool, and it is. certainly worth much more, would be about 11f. sterling, besides a lamb to each ewe, The halfblood gave 3 lb. and a fraction; their wool is. worth, agreeably to an account I have sent you from the British manufacture (supposing our common sheep to be equal, as I think they are, to the South-down) 2/6. sterling. That is, for each sheep 8/1. The common sheep gave 3 lb. each, worth in England 3. sterling, or one shilling a pound. The keep and food of my sheep was the same; these different races run together, winter and summer. One hundred Spanish sheep would then pay for. the keep, exclusive of lambs, sterling, if half ewes. One hundred three-quarters, if all ewes, One hundred good common sheep, £127 10:0 55 00 0 40 12 6 15 00 0 So that every farmer, who keeps common sheep, when he might have half bred Spanish, looses £25 12 6 sterling a year upon one hundred sheep, besides the great difference between the value of the lambs, till the country is fully supplied, which it will not be in many years. It is true the calculation on the full bred Spanish sheep may be taken too high, from my counting two rams with the five sheep, which gave the one 6 lb. the other 5 lb. of wool, but then the ewes were two of them very old, and had three lambs. If therefore the flock were to consist of one half wethers the calculation would be about right. I HAVE made another comparative experiment, to' ascertain the value of the wool, if manufactured here. Common wool afforded me cloth worth about 10. a yard, and a pound of wool makes nearly a yard of cloth, the expence of manufacturing is 6/7, this leaves 3/5 for the wool and trouble of getting it Р manufactured, Spanish wool unsorted, the whole fleece taken together, spun and wove as the other, gave cloth worth at least 18/. deduct 6/7 for the expense, leaves 11/5 per pound for the wool and trouble; but if this was sorted and spun finer, a much greater profit would result from the manufacturing of this wool. I shall order this experiment to be made the ensuing season. I am, &c. ROB. R. LIVINGSTON. BENJAMIN DEWITT, Esq. N. B. I HAVE weighed my cloth, 15 yards weigh 9 lb. 9 ounces of the finest. I sent 15 lb. to be manufactured, so that the waste must have been uncommonly great, if all the cloth was returned; 7 yards of the common, spun equally fine, weight 5 lb. 9 ounces. As the Annals of Agriculture are too expensive to be in many hands in America, I have extracted some articles relative to sheep, which the Society may think curious, and which may be considered as an appendix to what I have submitted to them on that subject. ANNALS OF AGRICULTURE, 14 Vol. 243, "THE pr price for rams by the season. From the first letting, in 1780, the prices kept gradually rising from 15. to a guinea, and from one guinea to ten. In 1780 Mr. Bakewell let several at ten guineas each, and Mr. Parkinson for 25, a pricé which then astonished the whole country. From that time, 1786, Bakewell's stock rose rapidly from ten to one hundred guineas; and that year he let two-thirds of a ram, (reserving one-third to him. self) to two principal breeders, for 100 guineas each. The entire services of the ram rated at 300 guineas. Since that time the prices have been ra pidly rising; 400 guineas have been repeatedly given. Mr. Bakewell making this year, (1789) 1200 guineas by three rams, (brothers,) 2000 of 7. His whole letting this year being full 3000 guin eas." N. B. THE Bakewell sheep is long woolled, the fleece worth only about 4f. sterling the wool 9d. alb. The value consists in the carcass, and the readiness with which they fatten. I FIND that they are at present turning their attention much to Spanish sheep in England, as you will find by the following extract: "MR. MARDAMET, speaking of several fine animals of Mr. Eccleston, mentions a Spanish ram, |