114: FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



Weight of fleece. 

 pounds. 



8 



7 

 7 



The ram's fleece was of eleven months' growth and 

 unwashed. The sheep ran between two and three 

 weeks between washing and shearing. Their winter 

 feed was hay, and each received daily half a pint of 

 provender, made up of three parts, by measure, of oats 

 and one part of oil-meal. The ram received more. 



I have ewes of the same blood which have produced 

 from 7 to 8 Ibs. 4: oz., of well washed wool per head ; 

 but I am unable to state* any average, their fleeces not 

 having been kept separate from those of my other 

 sheep. The ram which I have given measurements 

 of in Petri's table, is of this blood. He was bred by 

 Mr. Hammond. 



I am informed there are pure Paular sheep in some 

 of the western counties of this State which produce 

 very heavy fleeces, but I am unable to furnish any 

 detailed facts on the subject.* 



The result of my experience and investigations is 

 embodied in the conclusion, that to attain very 

 eminent success I would prefer to breed from a single 



* I have by no means attempted to name all the choice pure blood 

 flocks, either in this State or Yermont. This was not the object of 

 this paper. In the former I have mentioned a few of which I happen 

 to have personal knowledge. In Vermont I have only spoken of the 

 flocks which (with the exception of Mr. Saxton's) I found time to ex- 

 amine during a three days' reconnoissance among the sheep of that 

 State, made within a week of the time of reading this paper, for the 

 purpose of enabling me to express opinions concerning the present 

 qualities of the several varieties on the evidence of my own judgment. 



