As in this Society originated the term and practice of ploughing matches, which have been adopted in many parts of the kingdom with very beneficial effects, and particularly by enlightening and calling into emulation the labouring clafs of agriculturifts, of which your Committees, from time to time, have had very pleasing proofs; fo we feel persuaded that it will not be averfe to increase the respectability and éclát of thefe experiments, as they have been rendered confpicuous through the medium of your volumes for we have evidence that ftrangers, that is, perfons not members of the Society, have fought after these papers in no fmall measure, for the sake of what they had heard to have been the effect of your ploughing matches. We think that this end may be attained in two or three ways.

ft. By making thefe experiments for your premiums more frequent,

2dly. By extending the number of the premiums to the labouring clafs, and perhaps increafing the

amount.

3dly. By making the premiums to the owners of ploughs not pecuniary but honorary.

The frequency of these meetings will be advan tageous to your aim and views. The company are moftly practical men, and the converfation turns chiefly upon practices; interfperfed, nevertheless, with the elucidation of fuch theories as appear likely to produce the best refults. At fuch meetings there

is always a strong impulfe to reward even the leaft fuccessful candidate, if there appear zeal and defire to excel. Might not an extenfion of your encouragement to this very important class of society be attended with the best effects? As to the remuneration of the owners of ploughs, it rarely happens that the few guineas (especially the lowest premium) offered by the Society are even an acceptable premium. We think we have reafon to apprehend that an honorary premium would be more gratifying, and induce more extensive competition. You have one in your power, more elegant than most focieties can boast. We only submit these remarks to the confideration of this and future meetings.

THOMAS GRÆME.

G. W. HALL.

L. TUGWELL.

THOMAS WILLIAMSON.

ARTICLE XIII.

On the Treatment of a Merino and Merino, Cross Flock of Sheep.

A

[From Mr. GARRETT, in a Letter to the Secretary.]

SIR,

Sit is my intention to be a competitor for fome of the premiums of the Bath and West of England Society relating to sheep and wool, particularly premium 7, clafs x. I send you, agreeably to the requirements of the Society in that cafe, an account of my flock, and mode of treatment. If it fhould be deemed worthy of their attention, I shall be happy in having made the communication.

The farm which I occupy is principally hill land, on Salisbury Plain. The customary mode on this fituation is to divide the farm into fix parts, as follows; first, fainfoin, which remains good about fix years; then it is broken up, cleanfed, and turnips fown on it. The fecond year tares; third, wheat; fourth, turnips; fifth, barley, fown with grafs feeds, and broad and Dutch clover, trefoil, and ray, which lie two years for feeding, and then the ley is broken up for wheat. But previous to the breaking up the fainfoin, it is always neceffary to lay down the

fame quantity of land to insure a conftant fupply of hay. Befides the piece laid down to fainfoin, the other five pieces in fucceffion are turnips, barley, and grafs, two years wheat. This is my regular mode. In addition to the arable land, I have about 150 acres of down land for feeding my fheep. My flock confifts of 950; namely, about 450 of crossbreed from Merino and South-downs, and 500 pure Merino purchased and bred from his Majefty's flock. Many of my friends have made feveral objections to Spanish fheep; 1ft, fay they, "it is impoffible for them to live on our cold high hills in the winter, and endure folding." As I have been a great advocate for Merino fheep for fome years, I promised them to give the fheep a fair trial, as I knew by experience (on a small scale) they were capable of enduring hardships with any sheep in this country. In the month of October 1812, I began folding about 200 Merino ewes, and about 100 Merino cross ewes, on as cold a hill as any in this part of the country; they were regularly folded every night on that fituation till the end of February 1813; then the flock was brought to the low land for the ewes to drop their lambs. These sheep had but very few turnips, (which they partook of in the day in a diftant field,) with which they had threshed hay and barley ftraw till Christmas. Notwithstanding they were kept fo badly on this expofed fituation, not one of them died. This I did, though it was

cruel treatment to my flock, in order to convince my friends and the world that they would endure fuch hardships; whereas in a fimilar fituation, and under fimilar treatment, fome other breeds of sheep would have died. As the objection by this experiment is fet afide, and they are proved to endure the coldest fituation, and bear regular folding, their credit and value in these respects are established. The Spanish fheep are clothed from head to foot, which points out, in nature, they are more able to bear the cold than sheep that have no wool on their legs, and very little about the belly, neck, and head.

The second objection made to Spanish sheep is, that " they carry but little manure to the fold, and even that is not fo valuable as from the larger fort of Sheep." It is certain they do not eat fo much as larger fheep, confequently there is not fo much manure to be expected, in proportion to an equal number of each fort: but in proportion to the weight of the sheep, fo will be the quantity of food confumed, if they are of the fame age and condition. Therefore it appears to me that two South-down fheep eat as much food as three Merinos. In confequence, I fold 300 of the latter on the fame piece of land as I used to pen 200 South-downs on. According to the quantity of food confumed will be the return of each flock to the land. I judge of the quality of the manure from my crops of corn, which are equally as good as when I kept a South-down