Indeed there appears no reason to fear but that the
Wool of this Country may by care and judicious Management be placed on
an equality with the very best that is grown in Spain. It has been Mr.
MacArthur's invariable practice to keep the Spanish Breed apart from all
others, and as fast as Spanish Rams have been reared they have been put
among the coarse-woolled Ewes. The result of this system has proved
extremely satisfactory, his Flocks now consist of more than Five
Thousand, of these Sixty are of the pure Spanish kind, and the whole are
much improved in the quality of the Wool; he is of Opinion the best
judge will be unable to discover any material difference between the
perfect and the mixed Breed in Seven years.
With respect to Constitution, Size, and Aptitude to fatten, he has tried
all the Breeds he could obtain in the Colony, and he has found the
Spanish surpass them all in every one of these qualities. In the
representations that Mr. MacArthur had the honour to make in England to
His Majesty's Ministers, he stated that he thought a Flock of Sheep
would double itself in Two Years and a half, longer experience induces
him to think it may be done in rather less time; but in the Estimate he
now proposes to make, he will govern himself by the same data on which
his original Calculations were made, for he is desirous rather to
repress too sanguine Expectations than to encourage such as may prove
fallacious.
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