FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 91 



purchased in 1854, and a man whose honor and in- 

 tegrity I can fully indorse. 



"My sheep do not deteriorate in this country, but 

 the wool rather grows finer without any reduction in 

 the weight of fleece."* 



In a subsequent letter Mr. Chamberlain writes : 



" Carl has weighed a few more of our Silesian sheep, 

 and their weights are as follows : Four full aged ewes, 

 respectively, 120, 125, 107, 107 pounds; two ewe 

 lambs, 90, 87 pounds ; two two-year old bucks, 124, 

 122 pounds ; one three-fourths blood, 143 pounds. 



" I attended to the weighing and selection myself, 

 and am of opinion that our ewes from three to eight 

 years old average fully 115 pounds, say before drop- 

 ping their lambs. Our younger sheep do not weigh 

 as much. Silesians do not get their full size till four 

 years of age, and after eight or nine years they are 

 not as heavy. * * * Mr. Fischer's sheep are large, 

 say larger than any flock of Vermont Merinos that I 

 have seen. * * * I have the lambs come from No- 

 vember to March, because Carl says it is the best way, 

 and I let him do as he pleases. * * * The ewes 

 do not give quit as much wool, but I think the lambs 

 make stronger sheep, as they get a good start the first 



Comparative Profitableness of Varieties. 



Your President has assigned to me a delicate task 

 under this head ; but I shall advance upon it fearlessly, 

 because I know that the opinions of one person, if 

 erroneous, will weigh but little and soon be corrected. 



With an experience with all the preceding national 

 varieties, except the Prussian or Silesian Merino, quite 



* This letter is dated January 6, 1862. Mr. Chamberlain's residence 

 is reached from the Hudson Eiver E. E. from Tarrytown. 



