]NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



I'UBLISHKI) BY WILLIAM NICHOLS, HOGKIIS' lUULULXGS, CONGREf^S STREET, (FOURTH DOOR nu)M S'i'Al'K aTREET.) 



Vol. II. 



BOSTON, SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1824. 



No. 19. 



[The Ibllov.m; o'oservalions on i'/icq/, we have bttn 

 assured are from the pen of a person Tvho has pos- 

 sessed aiivanlages for obtaining a knowledge of the 

 ?ubject of his essay of a very superior nature. The 

 r.ssay itself appears to indicate that its author has 

 luucli practical as well as scientific acquaintuiire 

 ■with the nature of that interesting and useful ani- 

 mal, which forms one of the richest gilts of Providrnct 

 to civilized man. The communication is very ac 



bought singly. It requires a considerable capi- 

 tal as well as very g^reat care and attention. 



It 13 seldom that yoiinp: cives are to be had 

 at any tolerable price, and inany persons who 

 tjnderlake this business arc obliged to content 

 themselves with such as cjinnot yield more than 

 two, or at most three lambs. 



A very important circumstance in a purchase 

 of this kind is to inform one's self about the pre 



ceptable to us, and we have no doubt will be highly I j'iotis mode of feedin|r to which the sheep have 



valued not only by the agricultural andmanufaclnr 

 ing portions of the community, but by those who nish 

 well to the prime pursuits of human industry, al- 

 though they may not be directly or personally con- 

 cerned or interested in raising sheep, nor establi-^h- 

 ; or prosecuting any manufactory in which " Tlie 

 i^'/etce" forms the staple commodity.] 



FOR THE NEW ENGLA.\D FARMER. 



ESSAY ON SHEEP. 



BY H. D. GROVE. 

 Of crossed breeds. 

 The general rule is that the Iamb possessei 

 in equal share of all the properties of each pa- 

 ent. The idea is very erroneous that the si/e 

 mtl form arc more affected by the one, and the 

 ntrinsic qualities of the animal by the other — 

 "or although, in the first generations, the resem 

 >laDce to the parent Ram may be most appr- 

 •ent. it is nevertheless certain that in snbse- 

 uent years the distinctive qualities of ;he Ei\e 

 ifili again appear in the ofTspring. A pure rare 

 >as been carefully preserved in Saxony whitfi 

 las had great influecce in improving the nritive 

 70ol by constant crossing with full blood 

 ras. But it is certain that real and diir.ible ex- 

 ellence can only be attained by preserving the 

 lure blood ; and the best proof of this iact is 

 Dund in Spain itself, where the Leoncse flocks 

 ill continue to produce 2.5 per cent finer v/ool 

 aan those of Sozia ; altiiough the latter are sup- 

 llied ever}' year with more or less Leonese 

 neks and the method of treatment is precisely 

 milar in each. 



The improvement produced by crossing, na- 

 arally progresses most rapidly where the na- 

 ve ewes are of the best quality, allhough coarse 

 ooled sheep may also be gradually improved 

 )on ill the same way ; but in all such cases the 

 ze and form will be as much affected as the 

 leness of the wool, and all the attempts made 

 preserve the original size, while the wool 

 as made liner have eventually failed. 

 In the selection therefore, of a breed, or of a 

 igle ram for the purpose of a cross, regard 

 ould be had so'elj' lo the lineness and colour of 

 e wool — to the tirmness of its adhesion to the 

 in, and to the general health of the animal — 

 d not at all to the large size; which ])roper- 

 will be sure to disappear in the sequel if the 

 ol does not degenerate. 



Of the introductivn of a pure breed. 

 iThe raising of an unmixed breed of sheep 

 perior to the original flock is certainly much 

 (j)«5re expensive and difficult than improve- 

 mloftnt by crossing with rams of higher grades 



been accustomed, and if any change is necessary 

 to introduce it gradually. Kelter feed will have 

 1 tendency to improve a flock, but it is dangerous 

 make even this change too suddenly. — Those 

 who are able and willing to furnish capital for 

 this purpose and devote the necessary attention 

 to the business will nevertheless find them- 

 selves very soon repaid for their trouble and 

 expense ; since, in addition to the extra price 

 of his wool, the owner of such a flock will very 

 soon be able to dispose of full blood rams, and, 

 as his flock increases, of ewes also; the price 

 of which, if the best are constantly retained, 

 cannot fail gradually to advance. 



To make this business productive it is neces- 

 sary to pay particular attention to the food of 

 the ewes and lambs, and to have the latter 

 Jropped early in the season that they may at- 

 taintheir full strength at the proper period to 

 produce their own young. Rams of inferior 

 grades must of course be carefully excluded 

 from the flock, and the ewes must be treated 

 with extraordinary care to ensure long life and 

 prevent premature barrenness. It is still doubt- 

 ful whether there is an intrinsic diiTerence in 

 this respect between Merino and other sheep, 

 or whether it is merely owing to the extraor- 

 dinary attention they have received; but the 

 fact is unquestionable that they usually rear 

 healthy lambs at the age of twelve and some- 

 times even of fifteen years. 



Even if the wool at that age should become a 

 little less tine, the animal must not on this ac- 

 count be discarded, because if the blood remains 

 unmixed this evil will cure itself If these 

 rules are carefully observed, the increase of a 

 flock of fine blood may be made very conside- 

 rable as will appear by the following estimate. 



Commencing with 12 yearling ewes I esti- 

 mate that each will bear one lamb the first sub- 

 sequent season and as many the second, and 

 that half of these are ewe lambs. The third 

 year 9 ewe Iambs may be expected, the fourth 

 12, the fifth 18, and the Cth 22. Supposing 

 that the oldest ewes have now become barren, 

 the same progression will give, at the end of 

 sixteen years from the purchase, a flock of 867 

 ewes of pure blood, and the low estimate of 6 

 larnbs in all from each ewe is so much within 

 bounds as fully to oflsot the chances of loss from 

 disease or accident, if good care is taken 

 managing the flock. 



The first purchase of ewes of pure blood 

 will obviate the necessity of subsequent pur 

 chases of rams from time to time, which is ab- 

 solutely necessary in a mixed flock to prevent 

 the wool from degenerating ; and a further pro- 

 fit results from the sale ot the rams which may 

 commence with the fourth or filth vear. 



Or. the. sJection ,f sheep for hrcedirg. 



The most important point is to lie certain of 

 the pedigree of'-the animal to.be bought, and a 

 sheep known to be of pure blood should alwajs 

 be preferred before another of finer fleece and 

 better form, ■^hose ancestry is uncertain. Next 

 in importance are the fineness and elasticity of 

 the wool, the evenness of the fleece over the 

 whole body, the absence of hairs— the strong, 

 compact form — and full health. The best sheep 

 are distinguished by full and bright eyes, bright 

 red veins about the lachrymal glands, a broad 

 forehead, short but sti6f ears, a short, thick neck, 

 broad chest, round shoujders, and ganerally a 

 stout, thick set form, with short legs. 



The siz.; of the body is of less consequence 

 than any of these particulars, having much less 

 influence on the progeny than many people 

 suppose. The thickness of the fleece is main- 

 ly affected by the quality and quantity of nour- 

 ishment, ,ind will not continue through many 

 successive generations without care in this 

 point. There are many other marks of a sup- 

 posed gooj ram, such as a large tuft of wool on 

 the forehead, a large hanging dewlap, much 

 wool on the hinder legs, three rows of wool 

 round the neck, &.c. &c.— but alt these or !iny 

 other similar marks 1 consider as of no sort of 

 consequence, and believe they may all be found 

 on very inferior sheep. 



It sometimes happens that wool growers are 

 more desirotis of heavy fleeces than of superi- 

 or fineness of the wool, and therefore select in 

 preference the largest, heaviest animals rather 

 than those of the finest fleece; but in this case 

 t'.tci, fiiji of procuring the genuine merino blood 

 which never reaches to a large stature under 

 any circumstances. 



During pregnancy the ewes should be belter 

 fed than usual, aud this feed should be continu- 

 ed till they are furnished with ample pasture 

 It is of great importance that the Iambs should 

 acquire strength enough very soon after birth 

 to support the bad weather which may follow 

 in the spring — and be able to benefit by the 

 early pasturage, by which means they may be 

 sooner weaned and the fleece of the ewes in- 

 creased by stopping the flow of milk. 



The rams in every flock must of course be 

 kejit separate from llie ewes and yearlings — the 

 most convenient arrangement is to pasture them 

 with the wethers. One buck is sufficient for 

 about forty ewes. In Spain the proportion is 3 

 to 100. During the se.ason of impregnation 

 they are fed, morning and evening, with oats. 



In the season for dropping lambs the utmost 

 care is necessary, and if the shepherd is not to 

 be entirely depended on, the proprietor should 

 have him constantly overlooked. The birth is 

 commonly easy but ol'ten slow. Ignorant shep- 

 herds are very apt on such occasions to be aid- 

 ing in the birth, which is always useless and of- 

 ten very injurious. 



It often happens that ewes will not own their 

 lambs, particularly the first they bear; and in 

 this casu 1 would advise to sprinkling a little salt 

 on the lamb which induces the ewe to lick it, 

 after which it will generally allow it to suck. 

 If not, the ewe with her lamb should be placed 



