486 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



Oct. 



saw ; he informed me that their fleeces in May av- 

 eraged thirteen pounds, which he sold at forty cents 

 a pound. He had also threu noble bucks, docile as 

 kittens, whose fleeces ranged from seventeen to 

 twenty/our pounds. I examined their wool and 

 found it almost as fine and soft as a thistle's down. 

 The mutton of these eight sheep, when well fatted, 

 he thought would reach a weight of 30 to 40 lbs. 

 a quarter, and he said, is tender, juicy and delicious. 

 The bucks command prices ranging between $200 

 and $300, and the ewes bring about $50 each. 

 These animals were either originals or descendants 

 of Campbell's importation. Mr. J. H. Post, Rut- 

 land, had mixed Spanish and French, William 

 Dinsmoore, mixed blood, Henry Giddings, Fairfax, 

 Spanish Merinos, and E, Rich, Sudbury, six bucks, 

 pure Spanish Merino. 



I cannot forbear to remark here, that those who 

 object to scientific farming, ought to contrast the 

 products of these sheep with those of the sheep 

 raised within the memory of many who are keeping 

 sheep to-day. Within my recollection, mutton that 

 weighed 20 pounds per quarter, was considered un- 

 usually heavy and fine ; now we learn that these 

 sheep, by proper management, that is, by knowing 

 lioio to do it, bring quarters that weigh 40 pounds, 

 and at the same time of the most delicate and rich 

 quality ! In England, fifty years ago,, the common 

 mutton reached only to fifteen or twenty pounds a 

 quarter, while now, by the efforts of Bakewell and 

 others, it often reaches sixty pounds a quarter, and I 

 am informed by Mr. Baldwin the Cotswold reaches 

 90 pounds a quarter ! and is considered by compe- 

 tent judges the richest and most wholesome meat 

 brought upon the table. It is occasionally brought 

 to this country, packed in ice, during the winter 

 season, and is esteemed a rare delicacy. Among 

 the sheep I observed some half dozen of the Fat 

 Tail variety. The body of this singular animal is 

 thin, head, neck and legs small, and it is covered 

 with something much more resembling the hair of 

 a dog than the wool of a sheep. But the most sin- 

 gular part of the animal is its tail, which is a mon- 

 strous protuberance of fat, weighing, I shouldjudge. 

 at least twenty pounds ! Of course, it is not a tail 

 to whisk off flies with ! I learn that many years ago 

 when Welch & Co. went to the Cape of Good Hope 

 for wild animals, to replenish their menagerie, they 

 put on board a large number of these sheep to feed 

 them with on the passage home. They were not 

 "made in vain," but of what use they are beside the 

 one I have mentioned, and pampering the ruffian 

 dogs which depopulate our sheep-folds, I have not 

 yet learned. 



My next visit was to the neat stock, and among 

 the first I saw were a fine Devon bull, and cow and 

 calf, the property of W. R. Sanford, of Orwell, 

 Mr. S. accompanied Mr. Campbell to Europe, and 

 made his own selections of Devon stock. 



FIRST TRIAL. 

 Commenced June 12. 



1st day, fair 69J lbs. 



2d day, fair fh\ " 



3d day, rainy .47 " 



4th day, fair 84 " 



6th day, coM, rainy... 43 " 



6th day, ra.oy 49 " 



7th day, fiir 52 " 



8th day, very warm... 48 " 



Amounting to.... 407| lbs. 



Butter made 18J lbs. 



Average per day, 2 lbs. i\ oz. 



Durhams. — A. M. Winslow, of Putney, present- 

 ed a fine Durham bull, seven years old, and a herd 

 of young cattle, all his stock, which were remarka- 

 bly fine ; a pair of two year old steers, weighing 

 2,950 pounds, and a pair of yearling steers weigh- 

 ing 1,950 pounds, surpassed anything of the kind 

 I have seen for a long time. Both pairs were finely 

 matched. M. Smith, of Durrmerston, had a year- 

 ling bull, wf'ighing 1,382 pounds, which is a prom- 

 ising animal. Of the mixed blood, J. D. Johnson, 

 had three year old steers, 3,395 pounds, and very 

 fine. J. Holden, two years old.. 



Milch Cows. — The show in this class was not 

 large, but some of the cows were excellent. Al- 

 len Toby, of Calais, presented several, and among 

 them one |ths blood Durham, eight years old, 

 which had produced the following results : 



The trials upon the weight of milk, the cow having grass 

 only for feed, were as follows : 



SECOND TRIAL. 

 Commenced August 25. 



1st day 404 lbs. 



2d day 42 " 



3d day 41 " 



4th day 41 " 



5th day 41 " 



6th day, rainy 39 " 



7th day 42 «' 



Sthday 42 «« 



9th day 40 " 



lOthday 42 » 



Amounting to. . . .410j^ lb3. 



Butter made 18 J lbs. 



Average per day, 1 lb. 13 oz. 



The butter made by this cow was as good as any 

 I ever tasted. Such trials are important to the 

 farmer, as they show the efiect of temperature upon 

 the daily product, and may teach us valuable les- 

 sons iii regard to the treatment of the cow. I shall 

 have a word more by-and-by on the subject of the 

 dairy. 



Working Oxen, — In this department the exhi- 

 bition was large and good. It would be difiicult to 

 equal several pairs which I saw. I cannot well par- 

 ticularize in such a class. The town teams were 

 very fine. 



Yearlings and Calves. — Only a few were pre- 

 sented, and those of no great merit. 



Swine. — Very few on the grounds. 0. F. Lew- 

 is, of E. Montpelier, had a sow and pigs which 

 would do credit to any breeder, and so did A. J. 

 Ketchum, of Sudbury. 



Poultry. — In considerable variety, and very good. 



Butter. — A. K. Warren, of Berlin, H. N. Tracy, 

 of Essex, T. Daggett, of Montpelier, and several 

 others had packages of fine butter ; that of Mr. Tra- 

 cy was remarkably good. 



Cheese.— O. F. Lewis, P. Hill, A. D. Arms and 

 A. Cram, exhibited cheese which would make the 

 mouth of an epicure water. In the dairy depart- 

 ment, however, Vermont has not done herself cred- 

 it at any of her State Fairs. None of the New 

 England States could equal her if she would but show 



