144 



TFTE GENESEE FAR"NrER. 



thoroughly pressed out of them. In Clieahire, 

 where "scalding the curd" is seldom practiced, 

 the cheeses are pressed for at least three or four 

 days. Here they are seldom if ever pressed longer 

 than twenty-four hours. Scalding the curd is lo a 

 certain extent equivalent to pressing, but we think 

 if we should scald less and press more our cheeses 

 would be none the worse for it. 



WESTERN NEW YOBK WOOL-GEOWEES* CONVEN- 

 TION. 



About the middle of March, H. T. Brooks, 

 Elisha. Harmon, John Gilmoee and A. MoPher- 

 SON, Jr., issued a card requesting the wool-growers 

 of Western New York to meet in the Court-houses 

 in their respective counties and elect delegates, one 

 from each town, to attend a Wool-growers' Con- 

 vention to meet in this city, to take into consider- 

 ation the propriety of '■'■shearing without washing 

 theepy Wool dealers and manufacturers were also 

 invited to attend. 



The Convention met in this city April 2d. There 

 was a good attendance of farmers and wool buy- 

 ers, but the manufacturers were not represented. 



The Hon. Elisiia Harmon was appointed Presi- 

 dent, and he called upon H.T. Brooks to state the 

 object of the meeting. 



Mr. Brooks said the Convention had met to dis- 

 cuss the advantages and disadvantages of washing 

 sheep. For his own part, he had always washed 

 his sheep ; but he found that the nearer he could 

 come to not washing them the more profitable it 

 wasl He had that morning been talking with one 

 of the largest wool buyers in the State, and he 

 stated that Western New York was a poor section 

 to buy wool in. They paid much more for Ohio 

 and Virginia wool. Mr. Brooks thought that the 

 fber of Western New York wool was worth more 

 per pound than that of Ohio. He doubted if 

 oar wool could be dispensed with. If a few farm- 

 ers should bring their wool to market in an un- 

 washed condition, a serious deduction would have 

 to be Bubmitted to; but "union is strength," and 

 if the practice was universal the buyers would 

 have to yield. He believed that tlie sheep were 

 seriously injured by washing. Last year he washed 

 one hundred and fifty sheep in June, on a warm 

 morning, but before night the wind had changed 

 and a cold rain set in. In a week the eheep had 

 every indication of having taken a severe cold, and 

 some of them died. He thought sheep should bo 

 sheared about the first of June. Formerly, when 

 our sheep were bare-bellied and thin-wooled, it did 

 not matter when they nere sheared— they would 



hardly know whether their wool was off or on; 

 but now, when the wool is three or four inches 

 long, and so thick that you could not tell whereto 

 put in anotlier fibre, the case was different. If 

 such sheep were left unsheared until July, they 

 were seriously injured. If gentlemen would wear 

 a heavy ovei'coat on a hot day in July, they would 

 then bo prepared to say what the effect would be 

 of compelling their sheep to carry a heavy coat of 

 wool late in the season. Our weather seemed to 

 get colder. Washing sheep was a disagreeable 

 job— we had to dispense with the " whisky jug " 

 of former days. If we waited until the water got 

 warm, it would be well into July — almost time for 

 frost! He thought we should dispense with wash- 

 ing. Shear about the first of June, and be careful 

 to protect the sheep for three or four weeks after 

 they are sheared. Ue wished to hear from others. 

 He believed Mr. Whitney, of Clarkson, had been 

 in the habit of shearing without washing, and he 

 would like to hear how he succeeded in selling hia 

 wool. 



Mr. WniTNET said he sheared tlie fore part of 

 May — before turning the sheep to pasture. He 

 keeps his sheep well housed and clean, and the 

 buyers could not tell whether tlie wool Was washed 

 or not! [We could not hear the whole of Mr. 

 Whitney's remarks.] 



The President said our sheep were but poorly 

 washed, but he supposed that if they were not 

 washed at all we should have to submit to a de- 

 duction in price. It had been said that the wool* 

 of Western New York waste 25 to 50 per cent, in 

 cleaning by the manufacturers. The question i.*, 

 What would be the dlfterence between the present 

 shrinkage and what it would be if not wa.shed at 

 all and what the manufacturers would allow ? Wu 

 had the credit of sending wool to market in as bad 

 a condition as any other section in the United 

 States. Some farmers had taken considerable 

 pains in preparing their wool for market. He 

 thought he had— but he was getting discouraged. 

 There was a wrong somewlicre. 



Mr. MoVean was desirous of ascertaining the 

 experience of wool-growers in other States in re- 

 gard to washing or not washing, and asked Mr. 

 MooRK, of the Rural New- Yorler, for information ! 

 Mr. MooRK had none to give. He believed in 

 Vermont they did not wai.li at all ! 



The President said the difticiilty was to bring 

 the wool to an exact standard. Some washed 

 thoroughly, and others only a little, and buyers did 

 not make sufficient difference. lie had lost sheep 

 [by cold storms after shearLug in June and July. 



