THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



419 



impuriiies Irom the wool whicli collected in the 

 drviri"!;, and the extra quantity ot'oil which is re- 

 (juired III the preparation ol the wool lor the ma- 

 chinery, aiuouiuiii^ to two or ihree Scotch pinis 

 lor every twelve stones, as also its Ibrniing ulti- 

 mately an article of much less value, than that 

 which is manulacturcd Irom the wool as shorn 

 Irom the sheep's hack — when all these circum- 

 stances are taken into account, it will be readily 

 admitted than an expense ol' 2ji. a stone may be 

 easily incurred. 



Until the year 1832 or 1S33, the practice of 

 ealvinii Ijeicester sheep was scarcely known in 

 Scotland. Since that period a number of larmers 

 who have Leicester and hall-bred sheep, have 

 been induced, by the lavorable effects ol" this 

 new salve upon the Cheviot and blacklaced sheep, 

 to make trial ol" it, and they have lound essential 

 benefit to arise liom it in protectinj^ the health ol 

 the anin)al, and producing a marked improvement 

 in the wool. JMr. Johnston ol Halllree, parish 

 ol' Stow, who keeps a hall-bred slock, was among 

 the first who introduced this mode ol' salving inio 

 that part ol' the country, and his clip ol wool 

 brought, in 1S3S, 42s. per stone. Mr. Cockhurn 

 ol" Sisier|)ath, near Dunse, who has a considera- 

 ble flock of Leicester sheep, salves with this 

 salve ; and Messrs. Barff and Son (extensive 

 wool-siaplers in Wakefield,) speak of Mr. Cock- 

 burn's wool in the highest terms ol' commenda- 

 tion. 



The washing of sheep seems less understood in 

 this country than any other department connected 

 with the management of stock. Some years 

 ago I spent a lew weeks in the Highlands ol' 

 Pennsylvania wiih Dr. Rose of Silver Lake, a 

 great enthusiast in the management ol" slock. 

 For many years Dr. Rose has kept upwards ol 

 five or six thousand sheep ol' various descriptions, 

 principally lor the purpose ol" lending out in 

 shares. During my stay at Silver Lake I had 

 the pleasure ol paying a visit to Messrs. Hogg, 

 nephews of the Enrick Shepherd, who farm ex- 

 tensively in shares wnh Dr. Rose, to examine 

 their method ol" washing sheep. In place ol' 

 washing them in a running stream, as is general- 

 ly done in this country, they had a pond construct- 

 ed ol' a size corresponding to the extent ol' their 

 flocks, which was filled with water from the ad- 

 joining creek. At the commencement ol the 

 operition, several scores ol'ilie sheep were careliil- 

 ly hand-washed, immediately alter winch the wa- 

 ter in the pond had the appearance ol'a lakeol'soap- 

 suds. The remainder of the flock, amounting to 

 upwards ol' lorty score, were compelled to swim 

 across the pond, and during their passage were 

 twice dipped over head and ears by two ol' the 

 shepherds who were placed at pro[)er distances. 

 On account of the fleeces appearing ol' a dusky 

 color, I suggested to the Messrs. Hogg the pro- 

 priety of swinuning ihem across a pool of clear 

 water, which was immediately adopted, and in 

 consequence the duoky color disappeared. It was 

 quite evident that the sheep which were last 

 washed in lUe, pitnd were ihe whitest. Hill sheep 

 alter being washed should be driven to a clean 

 pasture-field, and there remain lor five or six days 

 to allow the return of the natural yolk into tlie 

 wool, which is found better adapted lor the va- 

 rious (ynrposes of manulijctnre, than wool dipt 

 belore the yolk has filled up iis pores. 



In the management of the fleece, loo much 

 care cannot be besiowed to exclude all impurities 

 in rolling it up, which ought to be done in as firm 

 a manner as possible, but without stretching the 

 fibre. 



AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATIOX. 



From tlie Kentucky Farmer. 



We deem the present a most Hirtunate con- 

 juncture in which to direct the attention of our 

 readers to the subject of that improvement in the 

 aflairs of agriculture which maybe promoted by 

 the action of the people in their organized capa- 

 city—by state leuislaiioii. The country has pass- 

 ed through a fierce political conflict, during the 

 rage ol" which no subject could engage attention 

 but such as was inevitably whirled into the pohti- 

 cal Maelstrom ; but having now, as we trust, laid 

 down our partizan arms, it becomes us seriously 

 to consider of and act upon those great measures 

 of policy, relating to our permanent interests and 

 happiness, which have been too long neglected. 

 We can come to the labor now with minds fitted 

 lur the accomplishment of our great ends. No 

 new and exciting contest is immediately ahead of 

 us to distract our sober thoughts and hurry us into 

 strile and madness. We are all brethren in in- 

 terest and feeling, when we come to think of pro- 

 moting agricultural improvement. On this sub- 

 ject, party cannot divide us. We are one — unal- 

 terably, inseparably one. The party politician, 

 with polluted and polluting loot, has not invaded 

 this hallowed ground. It is too sacred for hig 

 tread and he dare not approach it. It is too ex- 

 tended lor his narrow ken, too comprehensive for 

 his leeble grasp, too weighty lor his puny strength. 

 Let us then, throwing away the partizan and re- 

 suming our proper character of genuine political 

 economists, meet and labor together as we should, 

 in sincere and earnest harmony, for the promo- 

 tion of this greatest of our country's interests. 



What then shall we do? What ought to be 

 done? By what means, by what insirumentality 

 shall we still lurther promote agricultural im- 

 provement ? These are grave questions worthy of 

 deliberate consideration. We have repeatedly 

 offered our individual views upon the necessity 

 ol legislative action in aid of the aorrieultural in- 

 terests. The more we have reflected upon the 

 subject, the more we have regarded the experi- 

 ence which every day brings forth, the more we 

 have weighed the relations existing between the 

 various classes of interests and pursuits of the 

 country, the more we have earnestly looked into 

 liie necessary means of establishing and perpe- 

 •jiatino; the solid prosperity of the people who 

 rule this great republic ; by so mucti the more 

 are we confirmed in the liiith that, so far as the 

 distinctive claims of agriculture are to be re- 

 garded, the legislation of the country must be 

 efl'ectively and thoroushly reformed.^ We have 

 not time or room here to uo into plaborate reason- 

 ins on this subject ; but if kind Providence spare 

 our lile, we propose ere long discussing the ten- 

 dencies of existing systems of legislation and pre- 

 senting in connexion what we deem demanded by 

 the permanent inlereste and substantial glory of 

 the country. We shall [inve some things to say 

 which may not accord with tome of the popular 



