1838] 



FARMERS' R E G 1 S T E R 



267 



bled to supply the market, while lie will not be 

 able to recover his seed. 



It is iigieat iiiislake to suppose, lliat wheat will 

 frrow in any soil ; ibr 1 know, ihat in many in- 

 stances, ilie crop raised the past season, which 

 has certainly been very propitious, did not equal 

 in value the seed sown; and these instances all 

 occurred where the soil was destitute ol' lime, and 

 was not largely manured. 



Unless you wish to waste your labor upon bar- 

 ren and unproductive fields, attend careluliy to the 

 nature of your soil, and supply those elements 

 which are wanting, in order to render it iruitilil. 



From ilic Fanners' Cabinet. 

 ON STALL-FEEDIKG SHEEP. 



Mr. Editor: — At a late quarterly meeting; of 

 the "Agricultural Society of New Castle county, 

 Delaware," it was requested of the corresponding 

 secretary to elicit from practical farmers through- 

 out the slate, such intbrmation and experience on 

 matters connected with agriculture, as might be- 

 nefit and advance the objects of the society, and 

 when deemed ot'sulficient interest and importance, 

 to publish the same lor the use of its members. 

 Many of them are subscribers to your valuable 

 paper, and most of them interested more or less in 

 sheep. The method Mr. Bajnes adopts of mak- 

 ing, fat mutton will, no doubt, be niteresting to 

 .some of them, and the inlormalionhe imparts may 

 be relied upon — founded as it is upon experience. 

 Yours, very respectfully, 

 Jamks W. Tlioiiisojv. 



Wilmington, March, 1838. 



correspondence, &c. 



Mr. Thomas Baynes — 



Dear Sir — I am induced from some practical 

 remarks made by you in a late conversation on the 

 subject of sheep, and particularly sheep for stall- 

 feeding — to solicit ti-om you still further informa- 

 tion on this important branch of grazing — not 

 only for the benefit of our Delaware farmers, (who, 

 in the prospect of a dog-law,, lor the protection of 

 sheep, from the next legislature, will go much 

 more largely into the business,) but also lor the 

 sake of the agricultural interest of the country in 

 general. In all our great markets, fine mutton is 

 scarce, and consequently high — it is one of our 

 most ivholesome meals, and, if properly attended 

 to, one of the most profitable the farmer can raise. 

 But unfortunately lor agriculture, the great and 

 leading avocation of man — too few of its practical 

 votaries impart their wisdom and experience to 

 others by essays and lectures, who so much need 

 their direction and aid. The experience you ac- 

 quired in England, and the years of observation 

 you have had in this country as the shepherd of 

 that celebrated leeder of fine mutton, Samuel 

 West, of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, will 

 give great interest to any communications from 

 you on the subject — and as Mr. Barney has given 

 a reputation to Delaware s^ce/), which "they richly 

 deserve as — among the finest in the country — 

 practical directions from you, for their treatment, 



and how thej^ can be best improved and stall-fed, 



will be thanklully received by those who wish to 

 emulate his example— and profit by his valuable 

 enterprise. Below, I have proposed some que- 

 ries lor you to answer at your leisure, on the in- 

 teresting subject ol' feeding sheep — without a wish 

 liowever to confine yon to them. Any other in- 

 iormalion than they ask lor, and in yoiir power, I 

 li'cl assured you will impart, and by so doin<', 

 much oblige yours, &c. 



James VV. Thomson, 

 Cor. Sec. Agricultural Society. 

 Wilmington, April 8, 1838. 



To .Tames W. Thomson, M. D. 



Esteemed Friend : — Thy favor on the subject of 

 sheep was duly received, and I will comply with 

 thy request with pleasure as far as I am able. 

 Samuel West, to whom thee has alluded, a 

 practical larmer near Chester, Pennsylvania, 

 liieds about 100 sheep per year— he purchases 

 them in September, and, if possible, selects a 

 mixed breed of Bakewell and Merino, or Glade 

 sheep. After getting them home, the first thin.r 

 •he does is to wash them in a clear stream of wa^ 

 ter, to cleanse them from dust or mud which they 

 may have collected in travelling. They are then 

 turned into a pasture pretty well eaten down lor a 

 ^Qw days, when they are changed to a better one. 

 It is best to change their pasture every week, par- 

 ticularly if the fields are small. They will do 

 pretty well on grass till December, when they 

 should be housed (see directions in answer to thy 

 4th question.) The cost of sheep for feedin<T is 

 generally irom $3 to ig5 per head, and will mostly 

 sell lor double the first cost when fat. 



John B, Bayne.«, of Naaman's Creek, Dela- 

 ware, keeps a breeding stock, of the fine quality of 

 which thee has some knowledge. He allows 

 thirty ewes to one buck, which is considered about 

 the right number on a Rmn of one hundred acres 

 —these ewes on an average will have forty lambs 

 which at 4 months old are worth lijur dollars per 

 head. But I should recommend the yearlings 

 kept over which would shear seven pounds of 

 wool on the 40 head— equal to 280 lbs. at 40 cents 

 would be. $jll2 00 



The 31 head of old sheep would shear "' 



5 lbs. wool per head, 155 at 40 



cents, g2,00 



40 lambs, when fat, at 2 years old— 



812 per heap, 430,00 



8654,00 



40,00 



614,00 



flock. 



The food will cost §1 per head on the 



40 yearlingSj 

 Leaving, 

 The farmer's income (rom his brecdini, ,„_,.. 



Ewes should be kept well throuiih September 

 and October, and the buck allowed to go with 

 them on the first of October; after this time it is 

 considered best not to keep them too high till to- 

 vvards March, when they should be kept better. 

 Potatoes or turnips should be given them till grass 

 corae.s. Sheep should be washed about the mid- 

 dle of May, if the weather is clear, shear them 

 ten days after. Some of our farmers may not be 

 prepared to purchase a flock of Bakewell sheep. 

 A profitable business can be done, and at the same 

 time a good stock raised, by purchasing a lew 



