ffo. 15. 



THE PARMEns' CABINET. 



231 



[lalf pounds daily, and drank from two and a 

 balf to throe quarts of water. 



As a large number of linc-wooled sheep 

 have been mtroduccd into tlic country within 

 1 few years, it is absolutely necessary, in 

 arder to render them most profitable, that 

 they be well sheltered during winter. In 

 those countries in Europe which are most 

 famous lor tlie growth of fine wool, strict at- 

 tention is given to tiiis subject, and sheep are 

 not only sheltered in the night, but whenever 

 the weather demands it during the day. It 

 is said that on this depends in a great degree 

 the fineness and quality of the wool. Sheds, 

 at least, should always be provided for tlie 

 most hardy breeds of sheep; much more so 

 then, ought tiiey be f!ir the more tender, linc- 

 wooled varieties. Henry D. Grove, of Iloo- 

 sick, Rensselaer county. New York, who has 

 been uncommonly successt\il in raising and 

 wintering fine-wooled sheep, saystliatsiielter 

 against the inclemency of the weather, "is 

 almost as necessary to the health and good 

 condition of sheep, as food itself, and for this 

 treason stables for that purpose are of great 

 jjenefit. Not only do sheep do much better, 

 )ut it is also a saving of fodder and manure. 

 The latter is as important as the former; for 

 nanure, propeily applied, is money to the 

 armer ; and it is well known that sheep ma- 

 lure is of the best kind. These stables ought 

 .0 be so constructed, as to admit of a great 

 juantity of hay being put over head; and for 

 ;his reason I would recommend a side hill 

 iacing the south, and a dry spot around it, for 

 ;heir location. Each full grown sheep re- 

 juires six square feet including racks. These 

 )Ught to be constructed as to have a manger 

 ittachcd to each, for the purpose of feeding 

 Train and roots, and to catch the hay the sheep 

 Iraw through the racks. The stables ought 

 to be eight feet high at least, nine feet is 

 ireferable, and sufficiently ventilated. It is 

 ilso necessary to have windows for the pur- 

 1030 of light. Tlie difference between wool 

 ^rruwn in a dark and light stable, is really 

 nirprising. In a dark one wool does not get 

 hfj brightness it has in a light one. Of this 

 'ul I have v/itnessed the most surprising 

 iruof. Over head the stable ought to be tight, 

 ;hat no fodder, ciiaff, &c. may fall into the 

 wool, which reduces its value. The stables 

 ougiit to be litered with straw from time to 

 iine, to keep the wool clean and add to the 

 comfort and health of the animals." 



We conclude these observations with the 

 •emarks, relative to the importance of water 

 uv\ succulent food to sheep during winter, of 

 r. Birney, Esq. of Philadelphia, whose expc- 

 •lenco and skill on this subject are wtjU 

 uiown. To a gentleman who visited him, 

 18 showed from fifty ewes, upwards of sixty 

 ambs, ail lively and brisk, with a loss of per- 



haps three or four. The gentleman observed 

 to him that he had his shed covered with dead 

 lambs, and asked wherein the secret of breed- 

 ing lay. lie answered, "you stuff your sheep 

 with dry food V " Yes, as much good clover 

 and hay as they will eat," was the reply 

 " You give them no water, but suffer them to 

 go out in time of snow and eat it as they are 

 disposed to dol"— " Yes." "Then there lies 

 the secret. Your sheep fiil themselves with 

 hay ; they get no water ; and they have not a 

 sup[)ly of gastric juice to promote the diges- 

 tion of the hay in the stomach; they cannot 

 raise it to chew the end ; they lose their ap- 

 petite; are thrown into a fever; and cannot 

 bring forth their young; or they bring forth 

 a feeble, starved lamb that fills off and dies 

 on the first exposure to the cold and rain. 

 On the contrary I take care to provide my 

 sheep with good clear water in summer and 

 winter. 1 feed them regularly with hay 

 through the winter and give them ruta baga 

 and mangel wurtzel every day. The ewes 

 produce me one hundred and twenty jyer cent, 

 in lambs. You cannot get along without ruta 

 baga and mangel wurtzel." — Gen. Fanner. 



From tbe Farmers' Register. 



Coinparalive value of Apples to feed stock, and 



for sale, and their products, cider and brandy. 



During the two last summers and falls, my 

 duties called me into the apple regions of the 

 north. The following facts were obtained in 

 reference to the subject af apple cider and 

 brandy. 



1. Cider drinkers are peculiarly subject to 

 rheumatism, to inflamed eyelids, head-ach, 

 bleeding at the nose, to sores, and ulcers, 

 difficult and tedious to cure, to affections of 

 the stomach and bowels, and to premature 

 trembling of the hand and head. 



2. Cider drunkards are the most brutish 

 and cruel of the unhappy tribe of inebriates. 



3. An old orchard and a distillery are al- 

 most invariably indices of widows, orphans, 

 proverty and drunkenness. 



4. There is a great loss of money in ma- 

 king either cider or brandy. Good eating ap- 

 ples are worth on an average twenty-five 

 cents a bushel. Eigiit bushels of apples make 

 a barrel of cider, and twelve barrels of cider 

 make one barrel of brandy. Brandy at^fifty 

 cents per gallon would give about fifteen 

 cents per bushel for the apples. The loss is 

 ten cents per bushel. This on an orchard of 

 one hundred trees, in ten years, would be over 

 one thousand dollars. No allowance is made 

 for capital and labor connected with distilling. 

 Take these into consideration, and the loss is 

 much greater. 



5. It costs no more to raise good apples, 



