210 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Jan. 2-2, 1830. 



but from what cause, I presume not to siiy, iil- 

 tliougli I nni by no incana sure thai ii was nottlie 

 (liseaBC unilcr consideration. | 



During tlie same .summer of 1820, my lambs of 

 the previous ti\»'in-^ begun to dwindle and droji 

 away one aCier another, and five or six died be- 

 fore winter. The rest survived till IVb. or March, 

 and then disease thinned their lanlis again, and I j 

 lost nine more, leaving me but si.K out of twenty- 

 one that had survived their infancy. I was, in 

 the earlier period of this season of destruction, 

 pretty well persuaded that it was occasioned by 

 worms in the head, as most of those liiat first 

 died had more or less of them ; but several of the 

 last dying in a similar manner had none, which 

 seemed to spoil the proof that worms produced 

 the evil. 



From the spring of 1827 till the latter part of 

 the summer of 1828, I lost none in this way, and 

 but two in any other, excepting Iambs in their in- 

 fancy. In the latter part of the summer of 1828, 

 the disease again apjjcared, and fioni this period 

 of its ravages, which I watched with nuich care 

 and solicitude, have been drawn the foregoing de- 

 scriptions of its syiniJtoms, progress and termina- 

 tion, or this 1 have the most vivid recollection, and 

 the most accurate minutes ; but the su'crai j'criods 

 of sickness, though attended with some circum- 

 stantial diflerenccs, had so much general resem- 

 blance, that I mtst think lliey had but one origin. 

 In this visit of the dire malady, I lost near twen- 

 ty sheep, viz: ihirleen lambs in iheir first fleece 

 two of two years old, one of three, and three old 

 sheep. All but one of these seemed to have the 

 same complaint. From the commencement of 

 warm weather lust spring, till within a short time, 

 my sheep have ap))eared well, and for five or six 

 months, I did not lose one ; but symptoms now 

 indicate another visitation. 



Several of my lambs in tlieir first fleece begin 

 to look gaunt and shabby, with a commencement 

 of the above described internal appearances of the 

 wool, and already, strength, flesh and appetite, 

 are on the wane, and another period of destruc 

 tion seems ut hand, nothing of which, with all 

 my past bitter experience, although I tend my 

 sheeji most carefully in person, and hardly trust 

 them a day in other hands, did I notice till within 

 a very few days, my sheep almost universally 

 looking plump, and as far as I could discern, eat- 

 ing heartily. The cause baffles all my conjecture. 

 I once, as ubove stated, thought it worms, but 

 found the cviilence that season not at all satisfacto- 

 ry, OS some hud worms, and others dying under 

 similar circumstances had none. Among those I 

 lost last winter, I searched for worms till con 

 vinccd that they could not occasion the evil. 1 

 should say I found not above six, and those most 

 ly in the licad of one sheep. I think it cannot be 

 in poor keeping, for I cut my hay early, and feed 

 my b^ieep with the best. I think it cannot b 

 want of attention, for certainly I have endeavored 

 to be very careful. No increase of attention, oi 

 improvement in keeping, has eflected any iliscer- 

 nible good, tnore ihnii prolonging a miserable cxis 

 tence, ifil hasevim done that, which I huve some- 

 tiniCH doubled, and huve been suspicious that in 

 some instances it ha<I a contrary cflect. I have 

 supposed it possililo that it arose from confinin 

 my sheep loo closely to my shed, and yards, but 

 the disease hu.s more than once eonnncMiceil ils 

 ravages previous to bringing my sheep to winter 

 quarters, so that such a conjccturo appears ground- 



lis>. 1 li:ac thought of its being owing to cxpo- 

 sme to cold rains in the summer and full, wlitn 

 the fleece aflbrds the least protection, or to too 

 open and cold sheds in winter ; but this season 1 

 have been very careful to shelter my flock in llie 

 colder storms, especially at night, my shed has 

 been rendered closer, and the winter has thus far 

 been so niikl and pleasant as to give little trouble 

 from the cold, so that these sujipositions also ap- 

 l)car ]>oorly supported. I tried last winter to be- 

 lieve that the extreme wetness of the preceding 

 ummer might have produced such destructive 

 consequences, as wet seasons are considered un- 

 favorable to the health of this animal, and more 

 than an usual number were said to have perished ; 

 but the past season has with us been just the re- 

 verse of the preceding, being very dry, and thus 

 spoils that theory also. For a time I thought that 

 it might be a disease that having once entered a 

 flock, could not easily be eradicated, and being 

 perhajjs somewhat contagious, continued its ef- 

 fects by ijrojiagation. But this conjecture seems 

 improlfabic, from the facts, that I have changed 

 my flock once since I have known the disease, 

 with the exception of two or three sheep that were 

 never unhealthy after their connexion with my 

 new flock, and that more than a full year at one 

 time, of apparent |)erfect licahli in my flock, has 

 intervened between the periods of sickness. And 

 to conclude, I have thought that the situation of 

 my furm, or that some of its productions, niijlit 

 occasion the evil. Possibly this may be the case, 

 but I should not bo able to say why. 



1 am not much of a botanist, and consequently 

 a ])oor judge of the qualities of many vegetable 

 productions. My farm is mostly hill land, de- 

 scending to the north, north east, and east, origi- 

 nally covered principally with maple, beech, birch, 

 and hemlock, and is much of it rather moist and 

 lieavy, and a little inclined to bake. It is inter- 

 sjiersed with many rocks and ledges, and has two 

 small brooks running througli it, that are fre- 

 quently dry, or cease to flow, in the warm season, 

 hut there is very little that resembles swamp, or 

 meadow, not more than an acre or two at most, 

 an<l that hardly deserving the name. Its produc- 

 tions have nothing jjeculiar that I know of to dis- 

 tinguish it from other farms so situated, or from 

 the surroimding soil. IMy pastures are pestered 

 eonsiderahly with Canada thistles and the com- 

 mon brake'; but I huve never seen sheep touch 

 the latter, and have never supposed cither jins- 

 sessed of any noxious qualities, except as intruders 

 upon the soil. A species of nightshade finds shel- 

 ter here and there in tlie crevices of the rocks, 

 and lobelia is occasionally observed ; but I am 

 not aware that sheep will taste of cither. 'I'o 

 this long, and perhaps tedious communication, 

 Mr F.dilor, I have nothing more to add at present, 

 but the earnest request that you would upon ii.s 

 reception give it a jilace in your very interesting 

 pa])er without delay, and *o/iViV, or giff immediate 

 information on the subject, if any light exists, 

 and can be obtained, either as to the cause, or 

 aji eflieient remedy, for the plague is manifestly 

 progressing in mi) flock, and perchance in olhtra. 

 It certainly is of inilivijutit, and may be of nntimial 

 iuqiorlance. A. I.. U. 



.V. //. Jan. 12, 18:)0. 



Silk §.^0,000 worth of sewing silk is saiil to be 



made annually in the county of New Haven, Conn., 

 where the Mulberry grows in great abundance. 



OENEK.M. 1)I;AK1:()K.\~ ADDKESS. 



[CV.i(iiiiie<( /ri/in pa^-l ■-■03.1 



When nations first emerge from a state of I 

 barism, the demands for food and clotiiin 

 the most powerful inducement fur agricuir 

 industry, and the coari;esl products satisfy the g 't.i 

 erul consui.'i'tion ; but us manufactures and c< 

 mercc begin to divide the labors of an increai ir^^' 

 and more intelligent population, and the ai 

 mulated wealth of successful enterprise creat 

 more refined taste, and furnishes the means of 

 lification, the industrious cultivator of the so 

 encouraged to increase the variety, quantity, i 

 cacy and value of his legumes, esculent vegetal 

 fruits and flowers, until his rude fields are c 

 verted into gardens. It is then that horticull 

 assumes a station which commands, not c 

 individual interest, but governmental considerai 

 as one of the most important branches of nati< 

 industry, and is deemed worthy of the patron 

 of the state. Such is its present elevated chai 

 ter, and while the sovereigns, princes, and no 

 of Europe are proud to enrol their names am 

 the members of those institutions, w hich liave b 

 founded for the rational and patriotic purposes 

 mutual instruction, and the diffusion of infonna 

 on all the branches of rural economy, wc 

 profit by the experience of other nations, 

 emulate the lionorable cxanq)les they have , 

 sented, for perfecting the tillage of our na 

 land. 



The co-oj)cration of individuals, by the na 

 of variously organized societies, for the ace 

 plishmcnt of objects of public utility, and gen 

 local or private interest, is a discovery of 

 moderns, and has been one of the most cflic 

 means of accelerating the pi ogress, and eidiirj. 

 the bounds of knowledge. They have expl 

 the vast Hereulaneum of antiquity for those i 

 Eures of intellect, which once gave lustre to ■ 

 pires, and traced the history of the inventi' 

 discoveries and inq)rovementsof all oges; t 

 have collected the facts of isolated research . 

 the valuable rcsullsof private ex|>criments ; I 

 have brought to light |_thc labors of unobtru: 

 genius, rendered local inforination available to 

 and concentrated the scatterpd intelligence of 

 tions, in every department of science and 

 With the facilities afibrded by the wonderful 

 of |irinting, they are substitutes for, or have 

 persedcd that long cherished desideratum, a i 

 vcrsal language ; for whatever is valuable, me 

 attention, or is worthy of adoption in the writing: 

 the ancients, or the publications of existing nali 

 is speedily acclimated, and rendered ns fain; 

 as if it were of indigenous growth. There is eii I 

 other gloricus advantage in these institutions, n 

 honorable to the human race: — in war as well 

 in peace, their names become the paroles of in 

 course between the republics of letters, of scien 

 and of arts, roimd ihe globe. 



Having witnessed the happy effects of assoc 

 tions, for the promotion of liteniture, natural I 

 tory, jihysicis, ugrictdlure, the mechanic, econoi 

 cul und fine arts, we may confiilently anticlpu 

 that '.he same salutary influence will be e\pi 

 enced in the opcr;».ions of lii'riiculture, by I 

 hurmonious labors of those nmnerous societi 

 which have bein foun<UMl for ils encpuragenun 



The literature, history, science, art and pracli 

 of gardening, open a wide field for sluily and : 

 quiry, ami present exhausllcss sources of picasii 

 instruction niul wealth. Blcsseil is the man w 



;i: 



