No. 63.| 273 



3. Sub-acid — as Fall Pippin, Priestly, Baldwin, Sine Qua Non, 

 Red Juneating. 



4. Acid — as ^Esopus Spitzenburg, Rhode Island Greening, Graven- 

 stein, Jonathan. 



5. Very acid — as Summer Queen, Kirk's Lord Nelson. 



6. Very acid and austere — as Hewe's Crab, Siberian Crab. 

 Other qualities of taste may be described in a similar manner by 



comparison with our most celebrated and well known fruits. The 

 preceding examples are given only by way of illustration; the gra- 

 dations may not be correct in all cases, as they are named entirely 

 from memory. 



There are many other points of greater or less degree of perma- 

 nence, as time of ripening, color, size, shape, growth of the tree, 

 marks of the leaves, size of the flow^er?, &c. most of which will assist 

 in describing and classification. 



The importance of establishing extensive pomological collections 

 for examining the host of varieties which exist in the United States, 

 must be obvious. Such collections, in some instances, are already 

 commenced, but being in private hands, must be more limited than if 

 the work of an association with extended influence and power. It 

 would, perhaps, be hardly proper for the State Agricultural Society 

 to undertake any thing of the kind; but whether it might not be 

 highly useful in collecting and disseminating varieties, is suggested 

 as a matter for consideration. 



REMARKS ON SHEEP BREEDING. 



BY SOLOMON W. JEWETT, WEYBRIDGE, VERMONT. 



So far as your inquiries in regard to sheep are concerned, I shall 

 rely mostly on my own observation, a little on others better informed, 

 for the views I may give you. Your inquiry respecting the cross- 

 ing of Merino and Saxony with the South Down, is, I think, readily 

 answered. My own mind is fully matured on that subject. 



No doubt but to select choice fine wooled bucks and breed from 

 the South Down ewes, would be the best cross that could be ob- 

 tained from coarse wooled sheep, for our latitude, for the latter va- 

 riety of sheep appears to be a connecting link between the fine and 

 coarser breeds. In this cross, the lambs would gain the best possible 

 chance for milk, whereby all points of carcass would have full 

 chance for a natural development. But to let the large coarse breeds 

 of sheep into a flock of small boned fine wooled ewes, would be 

 ruinous to the flock, as I have seen fully tested. It is against the 

 laws of nature to perfect a larger race of animals from females of 

 much smaller stature. The carcass is not only too small to deliver 

 the offspring, but incapable of affording sufficient nutriment either 

 in embryo or after birth. If mutton be the object, what can you 



[Senate No. 63.] K* 



