vol.. XXX. so. 10. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER, 



iS 



irgo were sold at Brooklmc, as ' pure blooded 

 ecloral Saxons,' and thus unfortunately in the 

 ry outset, the pure and impure became irrevoca- 

 y mixed. Unt I feel the greatest certainty that 

 e Messrs. Searle intended to import none but the 

 ire stock; the fault lay with Kretchman. In the 

 of ISM, I entered into nil arrangement wiili 

 e Messrs. Searle to return to Sa.xony, and pur- 

 lase, in connection with Kretchman, from l(iO to 

 10 electurcl sheep. I was detained at sea seven 

 seks, wliicli gave rise to the belief, that I was 

 ipwrecked and lost. When I finally arrived, 

 e sheep had been already bought by Kretchman. 

 n being informed of what the purchase consisted, 

 protested against taking them to America, and 

 sisted on a better selection, but to no purpose, 

 quarrel ensued between us, and Kretchman even 

 int so far as to engage another to take charge of 

 e slieep on their passage. My friends interpos- 

 g, I was finally induced to take charge of them. 

 The number shipped was 167, fifteen of which 

 fished on the passage. They were sold at 

 ighton, sonic of them going as high as from $400 

 $450. A portion of this importation consisted 

 grade sheep, which sold as higl] as the pure 

 lods, for the American purchaser could not know 

 ! difference. It may be readily imagined what 

 inducement the Brighton sale lield out to spccu- 

 ion, both in this country and Saxony. The 

 Tmnn newspapers teemed with advertisements 

 sheep for sale, headed 'Good for the American 

 irket'; and these sheep in many instances were 

 tually bought up for the American market at 

 e, eight and ten dollars a head, when the pure 

 )ods could not be purchased at less than from 

 to $40. In 1836, Messrs. Searle imported three 

 rgoes, amounting in the aggregate to 513 sheep, 

 ley were of about the same character with tln'ir 

 or importations — in the main good, but mi.ved 

 th some grade sheep. In the same year, a cargo 

 221 arrived, on German account, Emil Bach, of 

 pzig, supercargo. A few were good sheep, and 

 pure blood ; but taken as a lot they were mise- 

 )le. The owners sunk about $3000. Ne.\t 

 me a cargo of 210 on German account; VVas- 

 iss and Multer owners. The whole cost of these 

 s about $1,12,5, in Germany. With the excep- 

 n of a small number, procured to make a flour- 

 1 on, in their advertisements of sale, they were 

 eep having no pretensions to purity of blood. In 

 27, the same individuals brought out another car- 

 . These were selected exclusively from grade 

 cks of low character. On the same year, the 

 3ssrs. Searle made Iheir last importation, conaist- 

 j of 182 sheep. Of these I know little. My 

 ends in Germany wrote me that they were like 

 ;ir other importations, a mixture of pure and im- 

 re blooded sheep. It is due, however, to the 

 2ssrs. Searle to say, that as a whole, their impor- 

 ions were much better than any other made into 

 ■ston. 



I will now turn your attention to the importations 



ide into other ports. In 1825, 13 Saxons arrived 



Portsmouth. They were miserable creatures. 



1826, 191 sheep arrived in New York, per brig 



illiam, on German account. A portion of these 



:re well descended and valuable animals, the rest 



re grade sheep. In June, the same year, the 



:ig Louisa brought out 173 on German account. 



; 3t more than one third of them had the least pre- 



'iHsions In purity of blood. Next we find 158, 



ripped at Bremen, on German account. Some 



i pre diseased before they left Bremen, and I am 



happy to state, that twontytwo died before their ar- 

 rival in New York. AU I intend to say of them 

 is, that lliey were a most curious and motley mess 

 of wretched animals. The next cargo imported 

 arrived in ilie brig Maria Elizabeth, under my own 

 care. They were 165 in number, belonging to my- 

 self and v. (lebhard, of New York. These sheep 

 cost me $65 a head, when landed in New York.' 

 They sold at an average of $50 a head, thus sink- 

 ing about $2,100 ! 1 need not say that they were 

 of exclusively of pure blood. A cargo of 81 arriv- 

 ed soon after, but I know nothing of their quality. 

 The next importation consisted of 184, on German 

 account, per brig Warren. With a few excep- 

 tions they were pure blooded and good sheep. We 

 next have an importation of 200 by the Bremen 

 ship Louisa. They were commonly called the 

 'stop sale sheep.' They were of the most misera- 

 ble character, some of them being hardly half grade 

 sheep. The ship Phcebe Ann brought 120 sheep, 

 of which I know little, and 60 were landed at Phil- 

 adelphia, with the character of which I am unac- 

 quainted. Having determined to settle in Ameri- 

 ca. I returned to Saxony, and spent the winter of 

 1826-7 in visiting and examining many flocks. I 

 selected 115 from the celebrated flock of Macherns, 

 embarked on board the ship Albion, and landed in 

 New York, June 27, 1827. In 1828, I received 80 

 more from the same flock, selected by a friend of 

 mine, an excellent judge of sheep. I first drove 

 them to Shaftsbury, adjoining the town of Hoosic, 

 where I now reside. On their arrival they stood 

 me in $70 ahead, and the lambs half that sum." 



It should be remarked that the above statements 

 were made by Mr Grove witt, ihe greatest reluc- 

 tance, and only at the earnest solicitation, or rath- 

 er requisition of the committee, who conceived it 

 their duty to place the whole circumstances before 

 the public. 



It will be inferred from the facts above stated, 

 that there are few Saxon flocks in the United 

 States that have not been reduced to the quality of 

 grade sheep, by the promiscuous admixture of the 

 pure and the impure which were imported together, 

 and all sold to our breeders as pure stock. This 

 accounts in u satisfactory manner for the different 

 estimation in which this breed of sheep are held 

 in (jcrmany and this country, and for the degene- 

 racy of the pseudo-Saxon of the United States. 



In its general habits and characteristics, its do- 

 cility and patience under confinement, as well as 

 its deficiency as a breeder, and ils slowness in ar- 

 riving at maturity, the Saxon bears a close resem- 

 blance to the Merino. It consumes about the 

 same amount of food, and is equally remarkable for 

 its longevity. 



The Famous Cuw " Blossom." — We had the 

 pleasure of seeing- this splendid animal a few weeks 

 ago, at the residence of her owner, near this city, 

 and high as our expectations had been raised by 

 all that we had heard of her while owned by onr 

 friend, Mr Samuel Cunby, who reared her, they 

 were more than realized. Jilossom is now seven 

 years old, vigorous and healthful, and akhongh it 

 is six months ^■incc she dropped her last calf, she 

 is giving suren /raltons of milk per day, and that 

 of llie richest quality. This year, in the beginning 

 of the fifth month after calving, she gave as high 

 as 35 quarts of milk in a day, and ranged from .34 

 to 35 for several days that her milk was measured ; 

 and from her milk of that week were made 15 3-4 

 lbs. of butter, not weighed till it had been well 

 worked. It is believed by her owner that Blossom 

 would have done better than this, if she had had 

 free access to water ; but she was in a pasture 

 where there was none, and consequently depended 

 for what she got upon the unreliable attendance of 

 a servant. Blossom is now supposed to be in calf 

 by Mr Canby's fine imported shorthorn Durham 

 bull, " /fas/inig-ion 7;-Ding," by whom she has now 

 a splendid heifer calf six months old, with her. 



The present owner will part with Blossom at a 

 price winch we deem very moderate. We hope 

 that some of our liberal breeders will secure her 

 for Maryland. We should like to see her grace 

 our Baltimore County Agricultural Fair. If her 

 owner does not part with Blossom, we learn he 

 will sell her fine heifer calf which we have men- 

 tioned. — Baltimore Farmer. 



To Cook Cucumbers. — Pare off the rind, then 

 cut the cucumbers into slice, t^nglliwise, dust both 

 sides of those slices with corn meal or wheat flour, 

 pepper and salt t|iem to please your taste ; this 

 done, fry tlieni brown, and you will have one of 

 the most delicious dishes that you can imagine, 

 combining in their flavor those of the oyster- plant 

 and egg-plant. Of their healthfulness, thus cook- 

 ed, there can be no question, and of their palata- 

 bleness, it is only necessary that you try them, to 

 say with us that they are exquisite. — Filchburg 

 Sentinel. 



The usual crop of wheat in the Genesee valley 

 docs not exceed 20 bushels to the acre. — Gen. Far. 



Vegetable tf'enther Prophets. — The cnrrollas of 

 the Germander Speedwell, are all securely closed 

 at the approach of rain, and they are surely open 

 again when the storm is over-past. The Pimpernel 

 also called "the Poor Man's Weather-glass," closes 

 its tiny but brilliant flowers many hours before the 

 occurrence of rain; its delicate flowers "goto 

 sleep," or close up, soon after twelve, and expand 

 again at seven in the morning. Thus by this sim- 

 ple monitor, can we ascertain both the hour and 

 also foretell the weather. The common and de- 

 spised Dandelion, a word evidently a corruption of 

 the French translation of the word Dent de Lion, 

 is one of the most correct sun-dials or rather " dial 

 flowers," closing at five in the afternoon, and open- 

 ing again at seven in the morning. If the Siberni- 

 an Sowthistle shut at night, there will generally 

 ensue fine weather on the next day ; if it open, the 

 weather will be cloudy and rainy. If the African 

 Marigold remain shut after seven, P. M., rain may 

 be expected. If the Trefoil contract its leaves, 

 thunder and heavy rain may be expected. — Selected. 



Good Specviation. — Major Raybold, who owns a 

 splendid peach orchard near Delaware city, con- 

 tracted with some New Yorkers to deliver ten 

 thousand baskets of peaches this season. The 

 product of this peach orchard appears incredible, 

 yet it is nevertheless true. The peaches were con- 

 tracted for at §2 50 per basket, so that the owner 

 will realize twentyjive thousand dollars New Jer- 

 sey paper. 



".\re them peaches fit for a hog to eat?" asked 

 a soap-lock dandy of a grocer. " Try one and see," 

 was the reply. Dandy cut dirt. — Hartford Times. 



" The cause of public happiness is public virtue." 



