' 27S [Senate 



yielJ as great a quantity of v*'ool when they have an equal amount of 

 i'eedj as any other breed with which I am acquainted, and that of a 

 much better quality; I wish to be understood what kind of Saxony 

 sheep I would have to breed from. Mine were bred from the flocks 

 of Mr. Grarit-of Walpole, N. H. Twelve years since; we selected 

 one hundred ewes from his valuable flocks. Three years they sheared 

 on an average four pounds of wool per head each year; the fourth 

 year they sheared three pounds fourteen ounces. Their keeping was 

 good hay, with a small allowance of roots from the first of February 

 to (he first of May,, and good feed in the summer. At the end of the 

 fourth year, they were sold for $800. They v/ere selected entirely 

 for their build, having broad shoulders, short legs and necks, heavy 

 bodies, and were well wooled upon the legs and heads. The bucks, 

 which were imported, we procured at Boston. They were inferior 

 to the ewes in every respect, except fineress of fleece; and here was 

 where so many with myself failed; for the valuable qualities of the 

 ewes were all sacrificed for a little finer coat; and after ditTer en t per- 

 sons had selected from my flock the bucks that were then pronoun- 

 ced best, the more valuable ones were left. The effects of such 

 breeding evidently soon began to show itself in light fleeces and 

 weak constitutions. 



I have commenced breeding from the increase of the above named 

 ewes with Merino bucks that have long thick wool, but not so 

 coarse as most Merino sheep we have about here, and have more 

 than realized my expectations; the lambs have heavy fleeces of good 

 quality, and are well built. 1 have also observed the different cross- 

 es that have been made in this town with these bucks and JMerino, 

 Saxony and Native ewes; all of which prove that we can get lambs 

 from the Saxony ewes that will shear more wool, than from either of 

 the others. The sire of these bucks was brought from Lono- Island 

 when one year old; and although he will be 11 years old next spring, 

 is as active and in as good condition as any buck about here, and 

 tups about 150 ewes yearly. His lambs are superior to any other we 

 have with us. He sheared, when in his prime, about eleven pounds. 

 He has been in this town three years; the oldest bucks we have fiom 

 him are two years old, and sheared last spring from seven to nine 

 pounds, yearlings from five to seven pounds eight ounces. He is 

 supposed to have some Saxony blood, but how much is not known. 

 There are a great variety of other breeds of sheep here; among which 

 are a breed from Wallingsford in this State; they are sometimes 

 called the Paular Merino, but they are not at all similar to the 

 Paular Merinoes I have seen from the flock of Consul Jarvis, being 

 ueing much larger and coarser.. For mutton, they are undoubtedly 

 superior to most breeds we have here; but for wool, I think inferior 

 to many others. The sheep I have seen from the flock of Consul 

 Jarvis, are very nice, having wool of crood quality; I think bucks 

 like the one I mentioned as coming from Long-Island, would im- 

 prove them, and produce as valuable a breed of sheep as could be 

 procured. ', . 



Attention to breeding will not make good sheep, if they suffer for 



