FARMERS' REGISTER. 



553 



Uveen the two races vvoulJ be an improvement to 

 both : the experiment was tried, and it succeeded 

 beyond his most sanguine expectation. Instead 

 of the minute quantity of three ounces, or even 

 less, several of the mixed race furnished ihir'y 

 ounces of down in one season, and the average 

 produce of his flock was above sixteen ounces; 

 this was not at the expense of quality; its silki- 

 ness was greatly increased, it was finer and longer 

 in the staple, and it had all the peculiar soilness 

 of the original stock. It was also found that the 

 mixed race was more robust, more easily ted, and, 

 what was of equal importance, it was less head- 

 strong than the common goat of Europe, and 

 could be managed as easily as a sheep ; while at 

 the same lime it was active enough to seek Ibod 

 in such steep places as would be inaccessible to 

 eheep. 



The great step was now made, and there would 

 be little difficulty in diHusing the improved stock. 

 The unmixed race had already been brought from 

 France into Kngland by Mr. Tower, and located, 

 in 1824, at Weald Hawl, in Essex, where it ra- 

 pidly increased, and was in every respect like the 

 Frencli parents. In the year 1828 three shawls 

 were made at Paisley of the wool of Mr. Tower's 

 flock; and they were judged by a commiilee of 

 manufacturers to be superior to any brought from 

 France. But the produce did not increase ; it 

 was still barely three ounces, and ten goats were 

 required to furnish wool enough for a ehawl of a 

 yard and a half sijuare. Englishmen therefore 

 began to turn their attention to the mixed race; 

 but the importance of wool to our Australian co- 

 lonies, and the very great improvement which has 

 been invariably proiluced in the fleeces of sheep 

 exported thither, naturally induced speculation in 

 that quarter. Mr. Riley, an enlerprisin<r proprie- 

 tor of New South Wales, saw Mr. Tcrnaux's 

 flock of pure Thibet goats at St. Ouen in 1828, 

 but the small quantity of their produce deterred 

 him from attempting so long a voyage with so lit- 

 tle prospect of advantage. He was then recom- 

 mended to visit the crossed race of Monsieur Po 

 lonceau at Versailles, which he did, and was at 

 once convinced of its superiority: he was very 

 anxious to purchase some of them, but the desire 

 of Monsieur Polonceau to increase his stock, and 

 to continue his experiments on a large scale, made 

 that gentleman unwilling to part with any. Mr. 

 Riley was consequemlj' compelled to defer the 

 execution of his object until his next voyage to 

 Europe, which was at the close of 1831. He then 

 visited Monsieur Polonceau again, Ibund his stock 

 greatly increased, and his expectations fully an- 

 swered. He prevailed on that gentleman to sell 

 him ten females and three males, all of which he 

 oonveyed safely to London. We regret we are 

 unable to furnish the result of JMr. Riley's endea- 

 vors. The last account we have seen is a letter 

 dated London, March, 1S32, written to the Society 

 of Arts by Mr. Riley, who had returned from 

 France with his little flock, and was then carefully 

 preparing them for iheir voyage. At that time 

 some of the lemalcs had produced young, whic'i 

 was the seventh generation from the original 

 cross. The Society presented Mr. Riley wiiii 

 their gold medal for his valuable endeavors. 



'I'he crossed race, like (he pure slock, begins to 

 show a little down early in September, and sheds 

 it spontaneously in March; it is therpflire evi- 

 Vof.. VIJI.—TO 



denlly a provision against the cold of winter, 

 which in Thibe', as in Europe, extends from Sep- 

 tember to March. In New South Wales these 

 are the summer months, and it would be interest- 

 ing to ascertain whether the goats will continue to 

 produce their warm covering at the accustomed 

 time, or if they will change their habits with the 

 climate. Possibly, like some flowers brought liom 

 the northern to the southern hemisphere, or vice 

 versa, they may for a lew seasons continue their 

 primitive habit, and then suddenly change it ; or 

 the old ones may continue the original habit, and 

 those born in the southern hemisphere adopt the 

 one congenial to their new abode. In any case 

 there is little doubt that the shawl-goat will be a 

 valuable addition to the stock of the colony. 



ORCHAUD DESTROYED BY CANKER WORMS. 



From the Hartford Courant. 



The orchard of Mr. Jabez Giddings, of Rocky 

 Hill, has been overrun with worms for seven years 

 — and is now entirely killed ; so that he has deter- 

 mined to cut it down. Thus he has, by these in- 

 sects, been deprived of seven years' fruit, and 

 finally of a fine orchard, — which he is now under 

 the necessity of clearing oR'— all for the want of 

 a little care "and labor. By spending an hour per 

 day lor six months in the year, and ^1 per annum 

 for tar, an orchard of -50 trees might be preserved. 

 I'he expense of this operaiion would not be more 

 than ?i;20 per annum to any farmer, and most of 

 them would perlorm it with their own hands, 

 without being feit. The result would be the pre- 

 servation of the trees, plenty of fruit for family use, 

 .ind a surplus that would bring at least §50 a year 

 in the Hartford market. The fruit used at home 

 is a lull compensation fc)r carrying the remainder 

 to market. According to this calculation, the 

 balance, m 7 years, is 8210 loss, besides interest. 

 But an orchard that produces an annual income of 

 S30, is as good as §500 at interest— this being 

 added, makes Mr. G.'s total losa from neglect, 

 over and above all necessary expenses tor preser- 

 vation, not less than ^750— or oh an average of 

 $107 per annum— more than ^2 a year for each 

 tree sufl'rred to be overrun by canker worms. 



POULTRY. 



From the New England Faimer. 

 When, says M. Bosc, it is wished to have eggs 

 during the cold season, even in the dead of winter, 

 it is necessary to make the fowls roost over an 

 oven, in the stable, in a shed where many cattle 

 are kept, or to erect a s:ove in the fowl house on 

 purpose. By such methods, the farmers of Auge 

 have chickens fir for the table in tiie month of 

 April— a period when they are onlv beginning to 

 bo hatched in the farms around Paris, rdthough 

 further to the south. It would be desirable that 

 stoves in fowl hotises were more commonly known 

 near great towns, where luxury grudges no ex- 

 pense for the convenience of having fresli eggs." 



