255 



NOTE ON BROAD-TAIL SHEEP. 



BY THE EDITOR 



The following observations would more pro- 

 perl)' have been placed in juxtaposition with 

 the chapter on the Tanisiaii Mountain Broad-tail 

 Sh(!ep, but the aiTangcments of the Printer, and 

 tlie convenience of Editors, do not always jump 

 together. 



If the sheep confided to Judge Peters succeed- 

 ed in continuing their race, it is more than was 

 accomplished, either by those which were sent 

 to :Mr. Jefferson, or the more than one pair 

 [ which were placed ia our hands by Comnio- 

 \ dore Bamb ridge, and otherwise. Mr. Jefferson 

 j said, that at Monticello, whenever the cross 

 on the common Sheep was bred np to | blood, 

 the tail became so enlarged that farther procre- 

 ation v.'as physicalh- forbidden. The same thmg 

 happened with those which came under our 

 own observation, and we believe, also with 

 some that helped to variegate the rac^s of fine 

 stock kept at Poweltou, the property and then 

 the residence of Col. Powel. No instance of 

 procreation as between the full-blood, has oc- 

 caiTed,but the conti'ary, within our observation, 

 and hence, probably, the breed has run out ; 

 though it has not been many years since we 

 remember to have seen a goodly number of ap- 

 parently half-breed Lambs. Col. Powel once 

 did us the kindness f£ Pluribus UnumJ to go 

 through the Philadelphia market, where we 

 interrogated the victualers as to the quality and 

 popularity of the Lambs and Mutton in that 

 market, of the mixed breed ; and their testimony 

 was unanimous in favor of the early maturity of 

 the Lambs, and the excellence, in all respects, 

 of the Lambs and Mutton which was supplied 

 to that market from a touch of the broad-tail. 

 They ha<l never, said the victualers, had as early 

 or as good Lamb since. And we understood 

 that to this day, in New-Jersey, those who raise 

 only Lamb for market, seek to get as deep into 

 this race as they can. 



In the 2d vol. of the memoir of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Agricultural Society, pages 254-5, will 

 be found certificates of eminent victualers, such 

 as Leutz, Rusk and Groff all concurring to the 

 effect that they fatted in the flesh and on the 

 ribs, far superior to most others. That they fat- 

 ted with less food, and were more healthy than 

 other breeds. " The Lambs sell the highest of 

 any in the market, and are most sought after.' 

 " We never met," sai/ Messrs. Lentz and Hus/c, 

 "with an unbound Shrep of this breed. We 

 have kept an exact account of weichts. We 

 (507 \ 



killed a ram of one year old, better than half 

 blood, that weighed 23 pounds a qu!U-ter, well 

 fumi.shed with rough fat. An ewe three-quar- 

 ter blood, two shears, 20 pounds a quarter, killed 

 10th June — 20 pounds of gut fat in the ewe. 

 The wool of the full blood or high blood, or 

 when crossed with good fleeced Sheep, is in 

 great estimation, and yields more to the fleece, 

 the flock through, than any other breed we 

 have been acquainted with." 



Under all circumstances we are satisfied tliat 

 the blood of this race of Sheep might be em 

 ployed with satisfactiftn and profit; more espe- 

 cially by those who breed early Lambs for 

 market. But whether they are now to be had, 

 or whether it would be profitable and expedient 

 to import them — in any case we deem it to have 

 been our duty to preserve the most remarkable 

 history extant, of their importation to the United 

 States, in connection, especially, with the memoir 

 of the agricultural services of the one patriot 

 farmer, to whom they were confided by another, 

 and both of whom were Presidents of Agricul- 

 tural Societies, and eminently active in encour- 

 aging all efforts to improve the husbandly of 

 their country. 



We remember to have last year seen some 

 Sheep of this race, just then imported, on the 

 Presidential grounds at Washington, and un- 

 derstood they had been sent or brought in as 

 presents to ex-President Tyler, in who.se hands 

 they will doubtless be well cared for, on the 

 beautiful shores of the James River. In the 

 hands of that eminent promoter of " Anne.va- 

 tio/i," it is not to be doubted they will multiply 

 and flouri.sli. For attention, care, and kind 

 ofBce.s!, quadrupeds rarely prove ungrateful. 

 Whether bipeds do, those in power have the 

 best opportunity to judge — when in retirement ! 



Weight of Cattle. — A correspondent of 

 the Doncaster Chronicle, [Entrland] gives the 

 following admea.surement of sLx heifers, as to 

 the increa.se in hight and girth, during a run of 

 grass from May-day to Michaelmas day. 



Oct. 14. 

 Age. Hight.' Gii-th. Hight. Girth. 



No. y an ox 



.53 

 50 V 

 53i 

 57 

 53 



m 



