CURIOUS EXPERIMENT IN WOOL GROWING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 43, 25 May 1853, Page 4

CURIOUS EXPERIMENT IN WOOL GROWING.

In a lecture recently delivered by Mr. Owsn, it the Society of Arts, the learned professor detailed the particulars of a highly interesting experiment, which resnlted in tho establishment' of "one 'of th c ▼cry few instances in which' the origination of a distinct variety of a domestic quadruped could bo. mtiifiictorily trsced, with all the circumilancei attending its devtlopement well , atubenticatcd. , We must premise It by statin;, tbat, amongst tha scries of Wools shown in the French department's be Great Exhibition, were specimens character* led by the jury as a WO6I of peculiar and sfngujar p ropertiel,— the bair, jloisy and silky, like mohair , etaining at the 'same time certain 'properties of ih« metino breed. This wool w»s exhibited by J. L. Granx, of the form ofMauchsmp,, Commune u e Juvcuinoonrt, and w»s the produce of a peculiar

7TT'— **"w""" w ""' w "T1TnB1MIII II II I I TTT TIT TflTT*— f*"— "^TT" variety of tke merino biced of sheep; and it thin trotc:— in the year 1823. one of the ewes of the flork of merinos in the farm Muuclmmp produced • male ltmb, which as it grew up, became remark* able for the long smooth straight and silky chnrac> ter of the fibre ot the wool, and the shortness of its burin. It was of small size, and preiented certain dtfects in its confirmation which Imve disappeared in its drcendants. In 1829, M. Graux employed this ram with ■ view of obtaining other »ms having the same quality of wool. The produce of 1830 only included one ram and one eve, having the same quality of wool; thut of 1831 produced four rams and one ewe with the fleece of tint quality. In 1633 the riimi with the silky variety of wool were sufficiently numerous, to serve the whole flock. In each subsequent year the lambs hnve bi.en of two kinds — one preserving the cKsrncter of the Ancient race with the curled elastic wool only a liitle longer and finer than the ordinary merinos; the other resembling tile rums of the new breed, some of which retain the large head long neck, narrow chest and long fUnksof the übdonnal pro^einior, whilst others conibincd^the ordinary and better formed body with the fine silky wool* M. Graux, profiling by the partial re.umntion of the normal type in somo of the deevndants of the malformed original variety at length succeeded, by afjudioions system of orossiug and Interbreeding, in obtaining • flock combining tho long silky fleeie with the smaller bend, shorter neck, bronder flanks ■nd more capacious chest. Of this breed the flock ß btvc become sufficirntiy numcroua, to enable ibe proprietors to sell simples for exportation. The crossing of the Mauchnnp variety with the ordinary merino has also produced a valuable qunlity nf wool, known in France ns the "Maualump Merino" Tli* fine silky wool of the pure M»uc!iHmp brted is remarkable for its qualities, as combing wool owing to the strength us well as the length and finenrss of the fibre. It Is nlio found of vrenl value hy the manufacturers of Cuchtnere sbawls, being second only to the true C-icbmere fleece In the fine flexible delicacy of the fabric, and of particular u'ility whrn combined with the Cachnnre wool in imparting to the manufacture, qunlitlM of strength and consistence in which the pure Cnohmcre is deficient. Although the quantity of wool Yielded by the Mnuchamp variety Is less thnn in the ordina-y merinos, tho higher price which it obtains in the I French market— >2 per cent above the best merino wools — and the prcient value of the breed, have fully compcnsited M. Graux for the pain* and cure manifested by him in the e<tshli»hmeut of the vaiicty, and • council medal wm awarded to him—Critic