508 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



uniting the coarse fleeces of the native sheep 

 with the coarse and still more open fleeces of 

 the large imported varieties, and the effect 

 was sati^factor3\ The ewe lambs of this cross 

 were bred on the first of October, after they 

 were one year old, to an imported Bakewell 

 buck, of large, full, round carcass, and a 

 heavy fleece of long wool. The ewe lambs of 

 this latter cross were also, in due time, bred 

 to an imported Southdown buck, of large size 

 and high form ; the object now being to infuse 

 into the progeny that active, sprightly, and 

 thrifty disposition, and highly flavored and 

 beautifully marbled mutton, for which the 

 Southdowns are so jubtly celebrated. This 

 object was also successfully obtained. The 

 wtthers of this cross were the delight of the 

 epicure, while the value of the fleece was not 

 diminished ; as much being gained by increas- 

 ing the number of fibres to the square inch as 

 was lost in the length of them. 



The next cross was made by a ram which 

 possessed, in combination, many of the good 

 qualities which it was desired to perpetuate in 

 the flock. He was three-fourths Cotswold, 

 and one-fourth Southdown — a large, hardy, 

 active sheep, with a thick and heavy fleece, 

 and his progeny possessed the same qualities 

 in an eminent degree. The two next crosses 

 were made by pure-blood Cotswolds ; and the 

 next by a very fine fuU-blood Oxfordshire ram, 

 of remarkable softness and silkiness of fleece. 

 They were' all animals with ^hort necks, round 

 barrels, broad backs, and full briskets. They 

 added to the flock still more weight of carcass 

 and fleece ; while the texture of the latter and 

 the delicate flavor of the former were not per- 

 ceptibly impaired, and therefore, in the next 

 fall — of 1853 — the flock was divided between 

 two fine full-blood Cotswolds. 



Every one of these crosses was perceptible 

 in the llock, (blended, but still manifest,) in 

 the character and habits, as well as in the car- 

 cass and in the fleece ; but in some a particular 

 cross predominated, which was naturally to be 

 expected, on account of the recentness of the 

 improvement. In order to obliterate these 

 discrci)aucies, and to produce complete uni- 

 formity in the flock, it was bred, in 1854, to 

 five select rams of my own breedinjr. The 

 progeny showed a reasonable accomplishment 

 of the object ; and, though there was some va- 

 riation in their carcasses and fleeces, still they 

 were in all respects beautiful and valvable ani- 

 mals of their kind. 



In the fall of 1855, in order to carry out the 

 same design, I bred chiefly to a mixed ram, 

 whose pedigree showed Cotswold, Oxfordshire, 

 Teeswater, and South Down blood. lie was 

 a highly formed and finely finished sheep, of 

 large ^ize and a thick fleece, of medium length 

 and fineness of fibre, and his lambs possessed 

 great beauty and value. 



In 1856 I bred chiefly to a large and fine 

 Cotswold, and in 1857 to him and to a ram of 

 mixed blood, the ewes being so selected and 



bred as to produce a more complete uniformity 

 in the progeny — those having a predominance 

 of South Down and Merino being bred to the 

 Cotswold, and those having a predominance 

 of Cotswold qualities being bred to the mixed- 

 blood ram. In 1858 two large and fine rams 

 of my own breeding were used in the same 

 manner, and for the same objects chiefly, viz : 

 to give uniformity and stability to the flock. 

 A few ewes were also bred, in 1858, to a very 

 fine mixed-blood ram, Avhich was a perfect 

 model ,of symmetry, and which had taken a 

 premium at the State fair, in Louisville, in that 

 J ear. In October, 1859, the flock of about 

 one hundred ewes was again selected, and 

 bred with a view to the same object, about 

 one-half being bred to the the above premium 

 animal, and the remainder to a fine " Improved 

 Kentucky " sheep, which had a fleece of re- 

 markable length, fineness of fibre, and was of 

 good size and fine form. 



Since 18G0 well-selected rams of my own 

 breeding, and those of Leicester and of Cots- 

 wold blood, have been used in such manner 

 as to impart some valuable qualities either to 

 the fleece or the carcass, or to the constitution 

 of the progeny ; pure Cotswolds, superior in 

 form and size and fleece, being raised in 1865 

 and 18G6. 



]\Ir. Scott says that these sheep have always 

 faced the bleakest winters, wettest springs, 

 and dryest summers, without any protection, 

 and seem at all times comfortable and spright- 

 ly, being clothed to the ears and knees by a 

 thick, long fleece. He has rarely failed to 

 raise as many lambs as ewes, and in small 

 flock one-third more. His flock of over 100 

 breeding ewes have averaged over eight 

 pounds per head of merchantable, unwashed 

 wool. It has generally commanded from 

 three to five cents per lb. more than the ordi- 

 nary wool of that section. A manufacturer 

 of Louisville says, " It seems to have a length, 

 strength, and texture, and at the same time, 

 firpness, fineness, and softness of staple, 

 which render it peculiarly adapted to southern 

 and western manufacture and wear." 



— Sir David Brewster has published a descrip- 

 tion of the manner in which a stack of hay was 

 struck by lightning in Forfarshire, Eng. It was 

 on fire but was extinguished before much of it had 

 been consumed. On examining the stack, a circu- 

 lar passage was observed which extended to the 

 bottom, and terminated in a hole in the ground. 

 In the hole was found a foreign substance which 

 proved to be silex, obviously formed by the fusion 

 of the silcx contained in the outer coating of the 

 hay. It liad a greenish tinge, and contained burnt 

 portions of the hay. 



