1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



187 



of rain and melted snow ; two clear days, and 

 two days of total cloudiness. 



January, 1868. — A remarkably moderate, 

 comfortable month. No thaw nor any material 

 softening of the snow during the entire time. 

 One of the best seasons for sledding known 

 for several years. The "January thaw" did 

 not come off according to appointment, but 

 may be expected any day, and will be very 

 welcome to many householders. 



The average temperature of January, 1867, 

 was 12°, do. at midday 18°. Eight stormy 

 days, with 17.50 inches of snow and 1.85 inches 

 of rain and melted snow ; two clear days, and 

 five days of total cloudiness. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 DUTCH COWS AND OXEN. 



Mr. Editor : — It gives me pleasure to look 

 back and reflect that within the last seven 

 years, 1 have been instrumental in saving a 

 number of heifer calves from the knife of the 

 butcher that were descendents of Mr. Chene- 

 ry's Dutch Stock. The most of them have 

 made first-rate milkers. The cow that I now 

 propose to speak of is the most extraordinary 

 heifer that I ever was acquainted with, except- 

 ing one native by the name of Nonesuch which 

 was frequently exhibited at the Middlesex ag- 

 ricultural fairs. Before this Dutch heifer 

 dropped her first calf, I noticed, one morn- 

 ing, that her bag was so large that it was 

 chafed on both sides by walking in the pasture. 

 She was then milked clean, giving a common 

 Quaker pail running over full of milk. She 

 was milked every day for four days, and on 

 the fourth day gave a pail full and two quarts 

 over. She was then milked twice a day and 

 her milk measured, and amounted to eighteen 

 quarts a day. After she dropped her first 

 calf, she gave a good mess of milk more that 

 her calf would take, and on the day that her 

 calf was three weeks old, what it would not 

 take measured eleven quarts. I then sold her 

 to Mr. Jones Emerson, proprietor of the Med- 

 ford House, for $150, reserving the calf for 

 myself. I shall leave Mr. Emerson to make 

 his own statement, of what she has done since. 

 One of my neighbors told me he had seen her 

 within a week. Within a few days she had 

 dropped her third calf; and he regarded her as 

 the best specimen of a cow he had ever put his 

 eye on, and thought her to be worth $300. 



As the Medford House stands about three 

 rods from the horse railroad, I think some of 

 the lovers of good cattle would be well paid 

 by taking a ride either in the cars or in a sleigh 

 and taking a look at this noble cow. 



Last summer I sold two three-year-olds of 

 the same breed to Mr. Wm. Jaques of the Ten 

 HilliS Farm in Somerville. I sold one two-year- 

 old, after dropping her first calf, to Mr. Daren, 

 living the west side of Woburn. Since then, 

 Mr. Duren has told me that some of his neigh- 



bors thought she might be three years, and 

 others that she might be four years old ; but I 

 know she is only two years old last spring. 



As the Dutch breed are not much known for 

 oxen I wish to say one word concerning them. 

 Five years ago last spring, I raised a bull calf 

 of the Dutch breed, and bought a mate for him 

 of Mr. Chenery. They were broken to the 

 yoke very young. I kept them till last April, 

 when they were five years old . 1 considered them 

 the very best cattle of their age and weight. 

 I sold them to John Cummings, Esq. of Wo- 

 burn for $300. I have never heard Mr. Cum- 

 mings say one word for or against the cattle 

 since he bought them. I looked them over 

 a few weeks ago and knowing the hard work 

 they did last summer and seeing how they had 

 grown, and knowing that Mr. Cummings al- 

 ways keeps oxen for hard work, I made up 

 my mind that he could not better himself by 

 selling them for $500. Asa G. Sheldon. 



Wilmington, Mass., Feb. 2, 1868. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



BY JOHN DIMON, OF POMFRET, CONN. 



This being a stormy day, and having spent 

 a portion of it with my sheep, I very naturally 

 take sheep for my subject. 



I am aware that sheep are a little unpopular 

 just now, and that wool and mutton are low. 

 But nevertheless, brother farmers, I think we 

 had best keep a few woolly backs, and 1 think 

 we shall not find it altogether unprofitable to 

 do so. I will also tell you my plan of manag- 

 ing them, which, by the by, I do not claim to 

 be the best way, but is the best I know at 

 present. 



I begin by selecting In the summer or fall, 

 ewes of vigorous constitution, wide hipped, 

 short-legged, early maturing animals, culled 

 from the common flocks of the country, and have 

 a good South Down buck which is turned with 

 them as early as the 10th or 15th of September. 

 They should have good pasturage ; or, if you 

 cannot give them this, feed them with a little 

 grain, and keep them in good condition 

 through the fall and winter, but do not get 

 them too fat. Keep them through the winter 

 by themselves, away from cattle and other 

 stock. Have a variety of fodder provided for 

 winter feeding, such as clover hay, rowen, 

 corn stalks, and last, though by no means 

 least, a c;ood supply, when convenient, of 

 good well cured weeds. Horse wormwood, 

 when cut at the right time and properly cured 

 and housed, is worth more, ton for ton, for 

 sheep than good English hay. However, I 

 like to have both, as it is very essential that 

 sheep, as well as other stock, have a change 

 of fodder. I give ewe sheep grain every day, 

 during the winter. If you have proper accom- 

 modations for sheep, they require as little care, 

 during the winter, as any other stock; but 



