NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



323 



FRENCH MERINO SHEEP. 



We give above a group of beautiful French Me- 

 rino Sheep, the property of George Campbell, Esq. , 

 of West Westminster, Vt. The description of 

 them below, is a portion of a report of a commit- 

 tee made to the Farmer's Club in the town men- 

 tioned, and is undoubtedly accurate, as the report 

 was adopted by the Club. 



To the Agricultural Club of Westminster West, Vt. 

 Your committee appointed "to examine the 

 flock of sheep imported from Europe last spring by 

 Geo. Campbell, Esq., and report their opinion there- 

 of," ask leave to make the following report. 



That we have attended to the duty assigned us, 

 and are happy to be able to make in general a fa- 

 vorable representation of the flock in question. 

 They are composed of both French and Silesian 

 Merino. The French Merinos were selected with 

 great care by Mr. Campbell in person from the 

 Government, and other of the best flocks in France. 

 They are of an extraordinary large size, generally 

 good f«>rm, with a thick, even fleece, good length 

 of staple and fair quality of wool. They seem to 

 be hardy and to possess a good constitution, are 

 very docile and quiet in their disposition, and this, 

 with their great size, seems to point them out as a 

 valuable variety for their carcasses as well as their 

 fleeces. 



The average live weight of 61 breeding ewes, (a 

 part of which are at the farm of Wm. Chamberlain, 

 Esq., of Red Hook, Duchess County, N. Y., who 

 is a partner of Mr. C.,) after shearing last spring, 

 was 103 lbs., of their fleeces 12 lbs. 8 oz. of un- 

 washed wool. His buck, "Matchless," of this va- 

 riety, is believed to be the largest save perhaps 

 one in the State, and is really a noble looking ani- 

 mal, being short legged, thick set, well formed 

 throughout, and worthy the attention of all our 



wool growers. His live weight after shearing 224 

 lbs., weight of fleece 20 lbs. 12 oz. He had evi- 

 dently lost a large quantity of wool and some flesh 

 on the voyage. 



The breeding ewes are in very good condition, 

 though not so excessively fat as some we have seen 

 in another part of the State. They are now nurs- 

 ing, and seem to retain a good healthy appearance, 

 both mother and young, much more so in our opin- 

 ion than they would do if they were unnaturally 

 covered up with fat as the flocks referred to. 



TRICKS OF ANIMALS. 



In breaking or managing a horse, however in- 

 tractable or stubborn his temper may be, preserve 

 your own. Almost every fault the brute has, ris- 

 es from ignorance. Be patient with him ; teach 

 and coax him, and success in time is certain. — 

 There are tricks, however, which are the result of 

 confirmed habit or viciousness, and these sometimes 

 require a different treatment. A horse accustomed 

 to starting and running away, may be effectually 

 cured, by putting him to the top of his speed on 

 such occasions, and running till pretty thorough- 

 ly exhausted. 



A horse that had a trick of pulling his bridle 

 and breaking it, was at last reduced to better hab- 

 its by tying nim tightly to a stake driven on the 

 bank of a steep stream, with his tail pointing to 

 the water ; he commenced pulling at the halter, 

 which suddenly parted ; over the bank he tumbled, 

 and, after a somerset or two, and floundering 

 awhile in the water, he was satisfied to remain at 

 his post in future, and break no more bridles. 



A ram has been cured of butting at everything 

 and everybody, by placing an unresisting effigy in 

 a similar position ; the sudden assault on a win- 

 try day then resulted in tumbling his ramship into 



