648 



FARMERS' REGISTER— HERBEMONT'S WINES, &c. 



it ia almost as indispensable to their welfare as 

 their food, and the sooner farmers get rid of this 

 notion the better lor both their interests andimder- 

 etanding. I have tried the experiment of keep- 

 ing sheep without water in conformity with this 

 improper custom so often and thoroughly, that I 

 have come to tliB conclusion that the only safe 

 rule is the opposite one. I could repeat the seve- 

 ral occasions' when I have acted upon this plan 

 for my own inibrmation, were it necessary, but I 

 only add that the result in my hands was invaria- 

 ble, that is, my sheep grew thin, as it was, that 

 they immedialely improved when I adopted an 

 opposite practice. With this care you Avill save 

 all your sheep; or not lose more of them than you 

 woidd of the same number of horses and catde. 

 They will have no disease among them. I have 

 often thought of an observation, made to me by 

 an experienced wool-grower from whom I once 

 asked tor information of the diseases of sheep; he 

 answered, "what have you to do with the diseases 

 of sheep? take care of them and you will have no 

 need tor remedies." This observation struck me 

 as strange at the time, but subsequent experience 

 has amply confirmed it. A nd now, v/hat will the 

 farmer gain by keeping his sheep well? In the 

 first place, he will save his hay, a fat sheep will 

 not eat so much as a poor one; he will save all his 



frain — sheep in good condition do not require any. 

 n the next place, he will save all his sheep — he 

 will have more and better lambs in the spring, be- 

 sides several ounces more of wool to each sheep; 

 and what is better than all the rest, he will in the 

 end save himself loss and anxiety. The saving 

 will at least be from one-eight to one-fourth of the 

 value of his flock, and all this by attendmg to a 

 necessary work in due season. 



A. 



TRIAL OF MR. IIKRBEMONT S WINE. 



[We regret that the accidents mentioned below 

 should have prevented an examination of all the wine. 

 In addition to this decision, we had before heard ex- 

 pressed, by Gideon B. Smith, Esq. formerly editor of the 

 American Farmer, praise equally strong, and more 

 fully stated, of the fine flavor of Mr. Herbemont's 

 Champagne wine.] 

 To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Nelson Co., Feb. 16th, 1835. 



By a series of accidents the several specimens 

 of Mr. Herbemont's wine failed to reach me at the 

 time (and those of one kind in the condition) 

 which I expected, which has prevented my writ- 

 ing heretofore. Having, as I mentioned to you 

 before, but little pretensions myself to connoisseur- 

 ship in such matters I submitted the first (the Cham- 

 pagne) to the judgement of a friend whose oppor- 

 tunities and observation qualified him to speak 

 understandingly — and my natural taste concurred 

 with his more cultivated, in pronouncing it the best 

 specimen of American wine we had ever seen. 

 It seems to differ from the most acceptable im- 

 ported of the same kind in nothing, except its be- 

 ing still, instead of sparkling. 



Unluckily one of the bottles of "Port" was 

 broken, and the cork of the other was loosened — 

 which so impaired its flavor as to forbid the ex- 

 pression of opinion as to its merits. The third 



kind having been sent in a different direction, I 

 did not see it until the last month, when several 

 gentlemen partook of it. It was thought at the 

 time to resemble in most of its proi)erties, the 

 "Madeira" generally consumed in this country, 

 except perhaps that it had less body and but little 

 of the saccharine taste. This may arise from its 

 having, as I learn, no addition of spirit, and but 

 little of the second ingredient being necessary for 

 its preservation when it is not subjected to the trial 

 of a voyage. 



These three kinds of wine, were all made, as I 

 understand, by a variation of the pi'occss, from 

 one species of grape (Herbemont's Madeira) until 

 lately supposed to be a native: and together with 

 other successlijl specimens, should suffice to re- 

 move every doubt as to the adaptation of our cli- 

 mate and soil to this species of culture. 



N. F. CABELL. 



EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE CORRESPONUENCK. 



FENCE LAW AND TAX COLD WEATHER. 



Nottoway, December I5ih, 1834. 



The petition to the legislature for a change in 

 the f(?.nce law will take well here. There is very 

 little objection, and amongst the intelligent, almost 

 none. The thing was started rather too late for 

 this session, though I should like to see it discus- 

 sed, as it would thereby set the public mind in 

 operation, which is all that is necessar}^ If it 

 could be efllected in five years, western migration 

 would be checked, because our lands could be 

 made rich, and the cultivation profitable. 



Columbia, S. C, February 10th, 1835. 

 # « * We have had these four days 

 the coldest weather I have ever felt here. The 

 thermometer was on Sunday (the 8th) two de- 

 grees below zero, a degree of cold unknown here 

 before, at least for a great number of years. It is 

 to-day 10 degrees above 0. * * * * 



February I2th, 1835. 



The most important subject to farmers now, is 

 the proposed change in our fence law. I hope 

 you will not let that subject sleep, as I am well 

 convinced, more important interests are connected 

 with it, than with any of the absorbing political 

 questions of the day. By way of illustrating the 

 excessive expenses attendant en t!ie present law 

 of enclosures, I would barely state a fact in regard 

 to my own plantation. I have 1500 acres of land, 

 on which I have (of necessity) fourteen miles of 

 fence, (one-third of which is distant from my sup- 

 ply of timber an average of two miles) one mile 

 and a half of which is on a stream very liable to 

 inundation, and is, m fact, carried off at least once 

 in two )cars. Now the whole fencing I would 

 require, in case ol' the proposed change of the 

 law, to protect my arable land, or rather to keep 

 in m}^ own stock, would not exceed three miles, 

 and that convenient to timber. Mine is by no 

 means an unusually strong case; there are many 

 within my own knowledge equally oppressive, and^ 

 vet demagogue-ism is resisting our efforts at relief 

 from this most unjust and distressing tax. The 

 thintr is, however, gaining ground, and your ])aper 

 is a powerfiil agent in the work. 



