Kōrero: Sheep farming

This image of a Spanish Merino is from Loudon’s Encyclopedia of agriculture, published in 1825. By that time Merinos had spread from Spain to many other parts of the world, and breeders had begun to adapt them to local environmental conditions. In Spain there were several different strains of Merino, of different sizes and wool fineness. This genetic diversity enabled breeders in other countries to develop distinctly different types. Many of these were later brought to Australia and New Zealand.