30 



Management of Sheep. 



Vol. II. 



confirmation, let them appeal to the manu- 

 facturer. 



Yes, my brethren wool growers, the pic- 

 ture represents faithfully the practice of too 

 many of us. Is it honest and fair'! — is this 

 the way our gains are to be aus;niented ? is 

 this a principle to instil into our sons, and 

 our example proper for them to follow ] For 

 my part, I will raise my voice, and con- 

 demn both principle and example as abomi- 

 nable dishonesty. As well might we fill our 

 fleeces with stones, and sell them for wool, or 

 sell our wheat and deliver chaff. 



But this neglect, Messrs. Editors, in regard 

 to wool, is only an item among the many, 

 which farmers are guilty of; — it is of the 

 same stamp and character wilh others, which 

 go to make up the opinion which is formed of 

 us abroad as well as at home, viz: that as a 

 body, the farmers of this country are more 

 neglectful, careless and slovenly, in their ag- 

 ricultural pursuits, than any others on the 

 face of the civilized portion of the earth. 



The above remarks are sweeping, but will 

 apply, generally, with full force to farmers 

 in this region. My knowledge is acquired 

 not from what my ears have heard, but from 

 what my eyes have seen. 



But I am happy to state, that in the New 

 England states, these " sins of omission and 

 commission," are not so generally practiced. 

 And well it is, that there are a "redeeming 

 few" who put their wool in such order that 

 they are not ashamed, when it is offered for 

 sale, that the light should shine inside as well 

 as out. If honesty be the impelling motive 

 for doing the clean thing, so much the more 

 redounds to their praise: if it be interest 

 which dictates, why — it is perhaps as well. 



At the Eastward it is common, with many 

 of the wool growers to make use of vats for 

 washing their sheep. This mode I have 

 adopted. The size of my vat is ten feet in 

 length, and about six feet in breadth. About 

 the sides of the vat, are temporary platforms 

 erected for the washers to stand upon when 

 washing. The water is conducted by means 

 of two troughs or spouts ; and the tall is 

 about four feet. Having two spouts, of 

 course, the washing of two sheep can be 

 carried on at the same time — during which, 

 two others are put in for the purpose of soak- 

 ing. The object of soaking the wool is to 

 loosen the dirt : — by so doing, when the sheep 

 are transferred under the spout, it separates 

 more readily from the wool. 



The advantages of washing in a vat, are 

 the following — a man can stand beside a vat, 

 and wash a// day — whereas, if he is up to his 

 waist in a pool, two hours is as long as he can 

 endure the cold. 



The water falling some three or four feet, 

 removes the dirt quicker, by far, than it can 



I be done by squeezing the wool, as is com- 

 !mon: — and moreover, the water is all the 

 j while pure and clean ; — in a pool it is always 

 ,rily. 'J\vo active men in this way, will 

 I wash 400 sheep in a day. 

 I My vat is made of two inch plank, well 

 I secured at each end by gripes, which are of 

 I oak timber, and the entire cost, including 

 platforms, did not exceed seven dollars. 

 j I have uniformly endeavored to put my 

 wool, in every respect, in the best order, as 

 regards cleanliness. I have been laughed at 

 by honest well-meaning sort of men, for being 

 tlius particular. But I have, through life, 

 adopted the proverb, that " honesty is the 

 best policy," and, also believing that some 

 time or other, purchasers of my wool, would 

 discriminate between it, and swc/i as is ^re- 

 pared in the manner already described in this 

 communication. 



j My wool has been purchased by the Messrs. 

 Lawrence, of Boston, tor several years, than 

 whom, most of your readers are well aware, 

 no men stand higher in our country for busi- 

 ness, talents, and integrity. I will here 

 insert an extract from two of their letters, 

 relative to the condition of my wool. " In 

 fixing prices, we have allowed you five 

 cents per pound, more than ours cost us this 

 season, for the reason, that yours is in much 

 better condition than is usual." And again 

 in reference to the clip of last year. "Our 

 sorts will turn out from two to three cents 

 per pound less than we have allowed for 

 yours, on purchases of over 300,000 pounds, 

 but the condition of yours was very good." Sic. 



Want of room, Messrs. Editors, will compel 

 me here to leave the subject. My efforts, 

 uniformly, to put my wool in the best con- 

 dition, I am satisfied, have been amply re- 

 warded. I have also satisfied myself, that 

 honesty and true interest go hand in hand. 

 I hope your readers, who are wool growers, 

 are satisfied of the truth of this position, 

 will do likewise, and find their reward. 



I intended, in this communication, to have 

 exposed the slovenly practices of farmers, in 

 reference to shearing of sheep, but defer it 

 to another time. 



M. 



Lansing, Tompkins Co. N. Y. 



Bliglit in Pear Trees. 



The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, anxious to 

 promote the discovery of a preventive for the disease 

 Uj^ually termed Ijligia in Pear Trees, ofl'ers a premium 

 of FIVE HUNDREU liOLLAKSi, to he paid the person 

 who shall discover and make public an effectual means 

 of peventiiis its attack. The premium n<il to be 

 awarded till after the expiration of three years from 

 the publicaiiou of the preventive, nor until ihe Society 

 shall be fully satisfied of its efficacy. Communications 

 on the subject may be addrrssed per mail to David Lan- 

 DRETH, Cor. See. Philadelphia^ 



