THE GENESEE FARMER. 



279 



Seed Wheat. — After alluding to the results of 

 . Hallett., of England, published in the Genesee 

 rmer for June, in selecting seed wheat, the New 

 rk Tribune urges every farmer to examine the 

 s of his wheat and select out the fairest for seed^ 



I «ays : 



Dne man gained celebrity for his seed, which he 

 led " barrel wheat, 1 ' from the peculiar mode of 

 r ing it, which was by whipping sheaves over a 

 *rel in such a manner that none but the project- 

 ; heads were shelled, and these were generally 

 > heads of the lougest stalks, and best heads, 

 tich first ripened. 



Never take seed from wheat that has been 

 ■ashed by a machine, unless you can afford to 

 e ten per cent., for that amount at least has 

 3n injured by blows of the thrashing spikes, 



that it will not vegetate. This has been 

 >ved by dissecting the grains and examining with 

 nicroscope. 



Never take seed promiscuously from any pile of 

 ieat. With a good mill you can screen out one- 

 rd or more. 

 I^ever sow wheat that is not absolutely free of 



other seeds, smut included, for what you can 

 t screen and blow out you can get rid of by 

 shing. 



When to Sell Wool. — The New York Tribune 

 Aug. 16 says: 



Wo believe that we can answer this important 

 Bstion, which all sheep owners are putting to 

 lers, or mentally to themselves, that is, " When 

 ill I sell my wool ?" For the last ten years, we 

 ) assured by a disinterested person who has been 

 a position to know, good fair clipped wool has 

 d» at prices that will average 40 cents a pound, 

 at is, then, the price at which a farmer can 

 ord to sell his wool at his own house or conve- 

 :nt market town, less the expense of transporta- 

 n and sale in this city. If he can get more than 

 s average price he is lucky. If the price is much 

 low that, he can afford to store his wool and 

 ait a more favorable time. At the present time 

 } price is more likely to rule above than below 

 i average, for while cotton rules so high people 



II wear more woolen cloth and use wool in a 

 riety of ways in preference to cotton. For bed- 

 lg, as well as clothing, there is no doubt about 

 i healthiness of wool over cotton. It is probable 

 at the grade of wool that will be most in demand 

 is season will be long staple fine, such as may be 

 mted for delaines, which will be largely worn in 

 ice of calicoes and other light cotton goods. Such 

 11 sell above the average market price. Those 

 10 have large clips of extra fine wool do not need 

 y advice from us when to sell ; they know that 

 e prospects are all in their favor. 



he only corroborates a very old belief. Berlasse 

 asserted it in his Natural History of Cornwall, a 

 hundred years ago. Mr. Jeffreys gives the passage. 

 The sweetest mutton is reckoned to be that of 

 the smallest sheep, which usually feed on the com- 

 mons, where the sands are scarce covered with the 

 green sod and the grass exceedingly short. From 

 the sands come forth snails of the turbinated kind, 

 but of different species and all sizes, from the adult 

 to the smallest, just from the egg. These spread 

 themselves on the plains early in the morning, and 

 whilst they are in quest of their own food among 

 the dews, yield a most fattening nourishment to the 



sheep. 



» ■ ^ 



Trial of Mowing Machines. — At a recent trial 

 at Fishkill, N. Y., several mowing machines were 

 tested by the dynamometer, under the superintend- 

 ence of H. L. Emery, of Albany, N. Y. The length 

 of trial swaths cut was 20 rods. The following 

 table shows the results : 



NAMK OF MaCIIINE, A2JD 

 ■WHERE MADE. 



* 



g B 2 



: 2,- 



• to <V 



'. "C °- 



• 2 "3 

 . « 9 



Snails and Mutton. — A writer in Blackwood's 

 agazine says, we all know how very excellent 

 e Dentrnoor mutton is : few probably are aware 

 at it is to the snail we are indebted for the rich- 

 )ss of its flavor. A correspondent of The Field 

 jwspsper is quoted as the modern authority, but 



Wood's. Hoosick Falls 



Puckeye, Poughkeepsie.... 

 Union, Worcester, Mass — 



Gleaner, Poughkeepsie 



Van Anden, Poughkeepsie.. 



Ohio, Auburn 



Monitor, Poughkeepsie. 

 Union, Poughkeepsie. 

 Monitor, Brooklyn. 

 Hubbard's, Troy 

 Pine's, Troy.... 



A Great Clip of Wool. — California is destined 

 to he a great wool State. Several importations of 

 fine wooled sheep have been made from the East- 

 ern States, and the native flocks greatly improved 

 by judicious crossing. There are several ranches 

 where ten thousand sheep are kept. The Califor- 

 nia Farmer of a late date says : 



Flint, Bixby & Co., of San Juan, Monterey Co., 

 are now here, making preparations to ship their 

 wool to Boston by the Rambler. They shear this 

 spring 17,000 sheep, from which they realize from 

 85,000 to 90,000 lbs. of wool, valued to-day at 26 

 cents per lb. all round. About half their flocks 

 were sheared last fall, yielding 40,000 lbs. They 

 have a single flock of 3,300 fine sheep, from which, 

 the average weight of the fleece is 7 lbs. 5 ozs. 

 They lost in all about five hundred head last win- 

 ter by exposure, and raised this season 8,500. 

 Their wool is Spanish Merino. They own a buck, 

 " Old Abe," a thorough-bred Spanish Merino, for 

 which they paid E. Hammond, of Middlebury, Vt., 

 $1,000. He is now eight months old, and iB said 

 I to be one of the finest bucks in the country. 



