36 



m)t Ihrmcr's i^loiatj)li j bisitor. 



bushels: 29,34,36, and 40 have been obm.ned.l 

 Richmond-wheat, 10 to 1/i bushels. Alford- 

 nveiage of wheat, 15 bushel.. Lenox-wheat, 

 20 buihel8. West S.ockbridfie-vvheat 25 bush- 

 els. Cheshire-wheat, 20 bushels. M^smchn- 

 Belts is not a wheat-growini; State. 1 he c.0|) 

 i; 5re is the result of care; but it averages moie 

 to the arre than in Union and Wayne. 



Some, perhaps, may say these average mem 

 ,he hill countnj of Berkshue county ; hu.t tl^ey 

 will iust refer to Mr. Cohnan's report to he be .- 

 :,e o'f Massachusetts, (March, 1838,) on the cu t,. 

 vation of spring wheat, they w.ll find a recoi.l o 

 creat cropL oi" wheat lor almost every year fron 

 1814 to 1837, not only in the back counties but 

 "all along shore, from Newbury to Cape Led - 

 the crops'yielding frou, 20 to 55 bushels per acre 

 -at'd these statistics do not go very far towards 

 proving " a material change in the character of 

 our seasons within the last 30 years 



In the Ohio Cultivator, of Jan. 1845, there s 

 an editorial article on the wheat crop. 1 he ed- 

 itor says:— " Ohio has the honor ol producnig 

 more wheat than any other State in the Union 

 The number of acres now annually devoted to 

 the wheat crop in Ohio, is about two i;""'»"«. 

 and the average product, taking the whole State 

 together, is only about 10 bushels per acre. 

 And he further says, " that their great marketa- 

 ble staple, the wheat crop of the State, has been 

 annually decreasing for a number of years past, 

 especially in the amount of its acreable product. 

 Is this diminution caused by a change in the 

 character of their seasons? or by " improper cul- 

 ture, and the neglect to apply to the soil those 

 elements which are necessary for producing 

 healthy and perfect straw or gram ' ? 



From the above, it will be seen that the gen- 

 eral average of the wheat crops of N. »'• «".'^ 

 Mass. will compare favorably with tho.se ofOhio 

 and Indiana, if the extracts I have tiuoted are 

 any where within the region of facts, and 1 do 

 not think the farmers generally in New England, 

 need despair of raising fair crops of wheat on 

 , account of the wealher, or any material change ot 

 the character of our 8easons,-tliough, perhaps, 

 many farmers, from the nature of their soiU, or 

 local situation of their land, on the score ot econ- 

 omy " had better put their hands in their pockets to 

 get iheir flour," than attempt to raise it. ^ ^ 



Mtrrimack county, M H., Mar ch 3, 18 46. 



Indian Corn.— This crop has generally been 

 thought to be one of the most expensive crops 

 raised in New England ; but we have long been 

 of the opinion that if" fair play" was given it, the 

 cost need not be so much above other crops as to 

 lead to a relinquishment of its culture. We rec- 

 ollect that a statement was made some years ago 

 to a committee of the Ken. Co. Ag. Society, by a 

 person who applied for a premium on ihis crop. 

 The cost then was put down at two shillings: 

 many disadvantages attended the cultivation ot 

 it, ^ich enhanced the cost. 



We once kept debt and credit with an acre ol 

 corn. The year was not very favorable, and we 

 charged the whol<3 expense to the crop. The ex- 

 pense per bushel, came up to 42 cents. Corn, 

 with us then, sold at 75 cents. 



There is an idea that it is ati uncurtain crop; 

 that either drought of summer, or frosts of au- 

 tunm injure it. 'Now, we doubt if there is any 

 surer crop among us. We wish wo could ohlam 

 a history of the early hard frosts that have taken 

 place for the hist twenty or thirty yeais, with a 

 view ofascertaining how often this crop has suf- 

 fered by frosts. We daresay that it has ripened 

 asolleii as any crop that we cultivate. 



Farmers would do well to plant an extra acre 

 next year, for the solo purpose of grinding up corn 

 and cobs together. The improvement of mills 

 for Ihis purpose, make it quite an object to pro- 

 vide an abundance of this kind of feed.— jl/ainc 

 Farmer. ^ 



From Morrcll'8 American Sheplicrd. 

 Management of Sheep— Parturition. 

 The usual period of gestation vrith the ewo is 

 five months, or an average of 152 days. 



The proper time for parturition must be deter- 

 mined by circumstances, of which climate and 

 locality are the most prominent, and these the 

 flock-master must steadily keep in view. The 

 month generally selected in tha Northern and 



Mkldle States is May, the vicisitudes of the cli- 

 mate forbidding an earlier period un ess in in- 

 stances where buihliii^^s are provided for slieJter, 

 the expense of which is greater than the majori- 

 ty of farmers are willing to incur. 



The ewes during pregnancy should he liis- 

 luriied as little as possitile, anil every attention 

 ivaid to the quantity and quality ot their food — 

 Ewes, however, should not he kept /a( at this 

 sla<'e; indeed this stale is injurious, as it predis- 

 poles them sometimes to abortion ; hut what is 

 usually termed "good store condilion should 

 be maintained through the whole period of ges- 

 tation. Neither should ewes he exposed to 

 storms and cold during the winter an.l early 

 spring months, but thoroughly protected from 

 both. A healthy offspring cannot be expected 

 from any domestic animal, in our rigorous cli- 

 mate, if the dam has been pennilted to slitter the 

 hardsliips of cold and starvation ; therefore it 

 will be wise if the sheep husbandman will al- 

 ways hold up to view the apothegm, " so the dain, 

 so "the oflTspring." Tliere must be good condi- 

 tion to sustain the mother in the trying hour of 

 lamb-birth; and like good condition is equally 

 necessary to sustain ihe lamb subsequent y, and 

 impart to it sound constitution, size, and thrilt. 

 The field chosen for the ewes' fold should be 

 dry, free from stunqis and open ditches, and 

 possess as level a surface as possible ; as in little 

 hollows ewes are liable to hecasi, which is caused 

 by lizily stretching themselves in sunny weath- 

 er, when in a lying posture. In this situation 

 they will often be found fiat on their backs, and 

 violently kicking the air, without the power of 

 recovery, until aided ; and, if unseen by the shep- 

 herd, death will follow sometimes in a few hours. 

 But perhaps no field aflbrds that smoothness of 

 surface to prevent these too often fatal occurren- 

 ces and therefore the duty devolves upon the 

 shepherd of passing leisurely over every part of 

 the field several times during the day, to guard 

 against them. But this duty must not be delayed 

 until some of the ewes have dropped their lambs ; 

 he must commence his career of watchfulness at 

 least ten days before; for it is very common with 

 ewes that are in over good condilion to he found 

 in this perilous situation some days before their 



' Other duties obligatory upon the shepherd are 

 lucidly set forth by Mr. Yonatt, as follows: 



"The lamber should have with hini his lamh- 

 crook; a bottle of milk— ewe's milk it possible, 

 and carried in his bosom or in the inside pocket, 

 that it may be kept warm ; some cords to tie the 

 Ics of the ewes that he may have occasion to as- 

 sist or examine; a little pot of grease or oil, to 

 lubricate his hand, if he should have occasion to 

 introduce it into the womb of any of the evves; 

 a sharp knife, with a round or rather curved ex- 

 tremity, should it be necessary to remove the 

 lamb piece-meal from the mother; a piece of 

 stout polished iron rod,of the size ot a goose qmll, 

 twelve inches in length, and rounded somewhat 

 like a button hook, in order to remove from the 

 womb a dead or divided fauus; a small quantity 

 of cordial, consisting of eipial parts ol brandy 

 and sweet spirits of nitre; and a strong infusion 

 of ergot of rye. . 



"The period of lambing having commenced, 

 the attention of the lamber should be increased. 

 He should caiefiillv observe every ewe that ap- 

 pears to be in lafior. While she walks about 

 and does not exhibit any extraordinary degree ot 

 suftering, he should not interfere; nor should he 

 do so if she rises when he approaches, and walks 

 awav, unless her labor has be<Mi protracted 

 twenty hours or more. He should not bo in 

 baste to render his assistance, although she should 

 be contimiallv lying down and getting up again, 

 and showing 'more impaiience or irritability tlian 

 actual pain ; but if her slieiigtli appears to he de- 

 clining, his immediate aid is required. 1 ne lias 

 to drive her to the fold or pound, it should he as 

 gently as possible, or he .should drive some oth- 

 ers with her, in order that she may not bo fright- 

 ened by being alone selected. The early inter- 

 ference of the lamber is always prejudicial, and 

 very freciuently fatal. Nature, in the course o 

 twenty-four hours, will, in a great majority o 

 cases, accomplish that which cannot be hurrieil 

 on by art without extreme ilanger. 



"'i'he state of the weather will cause a very 

 considerable difVerence in the duration of the la- 

 bor. When the weather is cold und dry, and 



especially if the situation is somewhat exposed, 

 the progress of the labor will he slow-the throes 

 will be comparatively weak and ineffectiial, and 

 the ewe may and should be left a consideralile 

 lime before mechanical assistance is rendered. 

 When, however, the wenther is warm, and espe- 

 cially if at the same time it is moist, the thioes 

 will "be violent, and the strength of the sufierer 

 will be very rapidly wasted ; there will he a dan- 

 gurous tendency to inflammation, and the aid ot 

 The lamber is speedily required. E.'scept under 

 these circumstances, no motive of curiosity, no 

 desire to know how the affair is going on, should 

 induce the lamber to interfore while the throes 

 are natural and the strength continues, unless it 

 is evident, without handling the ewe, that a lalse 

 presentaiion, or some mechanical cau.-e, prevents 

 the expulsion ofthe fostus. When the ewe is near- 

 ly exhausted she will often softer the Imiiher to 

 kneel beside her and successfully aflord the re- 

 quisite assistance. If there is a violent struggle 

 between the patient and the lamber, the Iffitus 

 will often be destroyed ; but his help, when she 

 quietly submits to him, will rarely fad to pre- 

 serve the mother and her otrsprmg. Let it he 

 snpi.oseil that, from certain circumstances, she 

 is driven to the pound, or that she is lying quiet- 

 Iv by the lamber in the field. He should hist en- 

 deavor to ascertain the nature ofthe presenialion. 

 Is the lamb coming it. the right way-with its 

 muzzle first and a fbre.f;)ot on each side of i . 

 If the tongue is not protruding trom the nioutli 

 and becoming almost black, and her strength is 

 not quite wasted, a table spoontul of his coidia 

 with double this quantity ol the mlusion w 1 1 

 probably increase or recall the pains ; and he 

 lamb will soon he born. It this is not effected 

 in a quarter of an hour, a second dose of the in- 

 fusion should be given ; and, that being follow- 

 ed bv no go< d result, he shouhl try what me- 

 chanical assistance will do. He should draw 

 down first one leg and then the other, endeavoi- 

 ino with his finger to solicit or coax the head on- 

 ward at the same time. If he cannot readily get 

 at the legs, he should push the head ofthe lamb 

 a little backwards and downwards, when he will 

 probably be able to grasp them. If he does .lot 

 now succeed, the cause of the obstruction will he 

 suflicientiv plain, namely, the too great largeness 

 ofthe head, which cannot pass the arch ot 

 the pubis; and, therefore, either tying the 

 legs of the ewe, or an assistant keeping her 

 down on the right side, the lamber should grasp 

 the two fore-legs in one hand, and with one or 

 two fingers of the other, urge it lorwanl with as 

 much force as is consistent with the safety ofthe 

 lamb. The young one will rarely fail to be ex- 

 tracted by these means, unless the head veiy 

 much exceeds the common size." 



In addition to the above sound observations, 

 when mechanical aid is employed, it is always 

 accompanied with considerable fright to the ewe 

 and if she is permitted to escape immediately al- 

 ter the birth of her lambs, will often relnse tu 

 own it; therefore, should it be "'l)''. l*^. '' ''^ 

 placed at once before her, and by its loini . tu 

 scent she will in most cases recognize it as liei 

 oftWpriu". On the whole, the surest way is, to 

 secme the ew« in a small pound or shed, and 

 "here leave her for the day; for if she has a sup- 

 ply of milk, rarely fiirther trouble '»^'^;' /'« "l'" 

 meliendc.h Should she, however, under these 

 ecu stances or any other refuse to suckle, she 

 , s be held, and a'teat place.l in the mouth ot 

 Ibe lamb. This alternative seldotn tails to cou- 



""Thcl2s of^ne-wooled sheep are cxtreme- 

 IV sen.i le to cold and wet when they drop, and 

 li "u" Id against exposure, the «l'f i;-""-'^"' "' k^ 

 mdeavor to anticipate storms, am l'l»- - o'\^^^ 

 bsforehand un.ler shelters. 1 hese should be 



::acious,asthe ewes .lislikes '- nmch o^^^^^^ 

 pa'ny at the time ofpar.urition.as« 11 - ■>"'^^^j 



n her retiring ol^en quite •l'!^'-''''''^, ' " ,f^ ,1;,,, 



r:;:-;;"^ ":^::M great labor a... ddig^- 

 nuist bo employed, the P'"'^'"'" .° « ZlL 



::it:r,srpil^>"^-mr\i;^^^ 



care should bo observed not to have them wiap 



