1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARI^IER. 



263 



at perhaps 54 cents a pound, pockets only Sil.62 — 

 the dilference of 78 cents per fleece, making so 

 much of a pn mium for "pitch-tops." After shear- 

 ing, both sell their sheep to the butcher, and the 

 Merino sells for a full dollar a head more than his 

 Saxon coinpetitor, thus raising the premium to 

 ^1.78. The result is. Saxony feels rather blue, 

 and rcFolves to secure one of "Pitch-top's" rams 

 another year, and compete with him f.>r the pre- 

 mium offered by the wool-dealers and butchers. 

 This is the whole secret of the production of "pitch- 

 tops" and wool "]acUing fulling qualifications." 



The remedy proposed by Mr. TcUkampf for the 

 faults of American wool, almost induces me to ex- 

 claim, like one of old — "Can these dry bones live ?" 

 It needs no comment; but I would advise any one 

 who seriously thinks of adopting it, to study cai-e- 

 fully firt-t, the history of the Saxon mania that 

 once raged among our wool-growers like an epi- 

 demic. 



Permit me to assure Mr. Tellkampf that as soon 

 as wool dealers adopt the plan of buying wool upon 

 its merits, as other farm products are purchas<-d, 

 he will not have reason to complain of the bad 

 qualities of American wool. The hardy Merino of 

 the land can lie made to produce wool as wliite and 

 clean as the falling snows, and w'wh && fine a, crimp 

 as the wants of the woolen trade demand, as soon 

 as the dealer offtrs the remuneration he has been 

 giving fur "pitch tops" and medium quality. Far- 

 mers, although not all wi^e, are not altogether 

 fools, and seldom fail to perceive what quality and 

 condition of their productions bring them in the 

 greatest amount of cash in the aggregate. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BEST STOCK MOST PBOFITABLE. 



Allow me a word or two in your correspon- 

 dence column, on a subject too little thouojht 

 of by many farmers. I allude to the rearing 

 of stock. It having been my lot to travel 

 much during the past year, I have kept my 

 farming eye open for observation, and have 

 had my previous convictions "irrevocably" 

 strengthened that "the best" stock is none 

 too good. I know from a little expedience 

 and much observation, that a farmer cannot 

 afford to keep poor stock, much less to raise 

 it. One would hardly stop to pick up coppers, 

 if the silver dollars were just as plenty and as 

 easy to get. The man who raises ordinary 

 animals gets the coppers, and leaves the dol- 

 lars for others to gather. And why' is it? 

 Only because it costs a little more to begin, 

 and perhaps, a little more to keep it up. In 

 the first place, there is too much guess work 

 and not enough thought and system about this 

 matter. Too much is left to chance. There 

 is not enough looking into nature. Her laws 

 are too little understood, and too little heeded, 

 ■when understood. The poor dame is often 

 treated as if she was a stupid old creature, 

 hardly capable of knowing when she is im- 

 posed upon. But incompetent as she may 

 appear to redress her own grievances, she 

 always does it. She is lawyer, jury and judge 

 all in one. Her cases are all settled according 

 to law. No biibes nor threats move her from 

 the direct path of justice. So if a farmer 

 breaks her law and tries to cheat her, she pays 

 him in his own coin. If he breeds crooked 



legged marrowbones, he gets marrowbones 

 and crooked legs. There is no bill of excep- 

 tions, no appeal. 



Instead of this loose, penurious way of doing 

 things, every farmer should study his needs, 

 and aim at the end he wishes to reach in a 

 legitimate manner. First of all begin with 

 some pure family, and then breed what he 

 wants. At the present time, there appears to 

 be varieties enough of all animals to satisfy 

 the most notional ; and good chances for safe 

 investments, too ; much better than raising 

 mongrels. A good stock raiser said to me, 

 the other day, in Manchester, N. H., "I sell 

 all of my heifer calves from my Jerseys and 

 my Ayrshires cows for $100 each, and my 

 Jersey bulls for $50 each." Not many of the 

 old-line farmers in that good old State would 

 take a Jersey as a gift. Yet right in their 

 midst one man gets more for a little calf than 

 they can get for a full grown cow. The dimes 

 are what they are after, but prejudice keeps 

 them in the old track. Is it not better that a 

 man should go for what pays best, rather than 

 wed himself to any old notions? I find it 

 common for particular cows of particttlar 

 breeds to be valued at $300. They are cows 

 that can be depended upon, either for their 

 milking or for their stock raising qualities. 

 Such cows are invaluable, and should never be 

 suffered to "run out." It is a sorry picture 

 that is presented in many a farm yard, to what 

 it might be if proper care was given to breed- 

 ing. "Get the best" is a motto that applies 

 to farming as well as to any other business. 

 Let the farmer heed it. and no longer wander 

 from the high road of progress. Yours al- 

 wavs for "the best." Z. Breed. 



Weare, N. H., March, 1868. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 TKEATMENT OF ORCHARDS. 



This subject is really one of first importance 

 to our New England farming interests. When 

 some farms, with not one-fortieth of their 

 area in fruit, derive not only more but perhaps 

 treble the revenue from fruit that is secured 

 from all other productions, surely the fruit in- 

 terest should be thoroughly studied. 



I have read the many important articles 

 published in the Farmer and other agricultu- 

 ral papers, which have come under my obser- 

 vation ; and I have read in the orchards seen 

 here and there ; and have sought to study the 

 subject with plough, mattock and hoe in hand, 

 because I consider it important, not merely to 

 myself, but to the great family of feeders, of 

 which I am only a member. 



I suspect that there is at present too much 

 of a tendency to plough orchards. I suspect 

 that the good results of orchard ploughing have 

 been dwelt upon more than the resultant evils 

 have been. 



Not all who would raise fruit trees can be 



