J^EW ENOLiAJ^D FARMER, 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



-ISHEI) I'.V GKORGE C. I'.AURETT, NO. 52, NOKTH MARKET STREET, (Agricultural Warehouse.) — T. G. FESSENDKN, EDITOR. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AIGIIST 26, 183-5. 



NO. 7. . 



[For the .NVw Kiiql.ind Karmer.J 

 SIBRINO SIIEKP. 



Mr Fesse.vde.n — Having for many year.s bncn 

 a breeder of fine wool siieep, 1 beg leave to offer 

 you tlie result of my experience, aud if it should 

 not correspond with ilie observation of otlier 

 breeders, I can assure tliciii, my flock lias never 

 suffered, from want of care and e.xpensi; in tlieir 

 first purchase, for unwearied attention to their 

 management or for the good condition in which 

 they have iiniforndy been kept. The sheep were 

 ])rovided with good pasture in summer and exten- 

 sive, airy nheds in winter, and fed on Englisli hay, 

 with a few potatoes towards spring. The merino 

 sheep importoil into this country, from 1803 to 

 ISll, were chiefly of the Spani.h Escurial, the 

 Paular, Gaudaloupe, lufantado, Montano nnd Ni- 

 gretti. 



The Escurial were beautiful fine wooled sheep, 

 free from grease, not carrying a very heavy fleece, 

 or a very strong constitution. The Nigretti 

 were the largest sheep of any imported. The 

 other three flocks were of good size, short legs, 

 round chest and sheared very large and heavy 

 lleeces. My flock was fro n the Paular and Gau- 

 laloupe, and particularly distinguished for the 

 i|uantity and quality of their wool, and differs 

 rom the others in a looseness of skin on the neck, 

 .vith a more evident degree of throatiness. Their 

 ambs were generally produced with a coarse, 

 ■airy appearance, which was succeeded by a coat 

 }f unusual closeness and of excellent quality 

 \mong the great numbers of sheep imported into 

 his couutiy, individuals belonging to the same 

 locks differ greatly in the size of the carcass, as 

 vvell as the weight and fineness of the fleece. The 

 rreat object, at that time in forming my flock, was 

 juantity and quality, for, with the first requisite I 

 dways found the hardiest, strongest constitutions. 



( ndeavored to obtain a fleece that would pro- 

 hice the greatest jirofit and so well had i succeed- 



(1 tliat to the time when Saxony sheep were in- 

 roiluced, the entire flock averaged four and a 

 |U,'uter to fotn- and a half pounds of washed wool, 



11(1 sold at seventy to seventyfive cents per juiund. 



; Im re were no wethers in the flock. Ewes 



'.d shear from three and three quarters to four 



11 a quarter pounds. Bucks from six lo nine 

 "'iiiils. Yearlings fi'om four to four and a 

 lalf. 

 On the importation of Saxony sheep I bought 



:i2 ly.confident I should soon realise in fineness, 



ill' than 1 lost in the diminished quantity of the 

 :ii'rino fleeces. But 1 w'as sadly disappointed, 

 or I lost not only in the value of the fleece, but 

 more by feebleness of constitution. My me- 

 ino land)s used to drop in March, and their close 

 lairy coats afforded a protection at once. Cut 



found March was too cold for my delicate, half 

 laked little Saxons. 1 was obliged to have them 

 Irop in May. This was a bad arrangement, for 

 vhen the lambs were weaned, it was so lute in 

 he season, that the mothers would not get fat, as 

 brmerly. The merino lambs were so hardy that 



the loss of one, could almost always be traced 

 to some accident or neglect, but the Saxons w'oidd 

 die in spite of all my caro and a«ention, full fif- 

 teen and twenty per cent. The average weight t'f 

 my fleeces became very much reduced and I never 

 so'd my clip for over eighty cents j er pound. 

 Two years ago I became satisfied of my mistake 

 and loss, occasioned by the Saxons, and sold out 

 the whole, reserving to mj'scif such of my old me- 

 rinos as I could sel(!ct, that had escaped the gen- 

 eral slaughter, and by rejiurchasing some, I had 

 previously sold, I have now a small flock of merinos 

 with which I shall be satisfied, without further 

 experiments. 'Ihe ewes, with two exceptions, 

 have lambs by their sides and their fleeces in June 

 averaged four pounds one oimce. Some of the 

 oldest shearing less, and others more,and one reach- 

 ing five pounds fourteen ounces. One of the bucks 

 sheared eight pounds and one quarter. This 

 wool washed on the sheep, sold at sixtyseven cents 

 per pound, cash. 



It is a peculiarity of the merinos, of which I 

 am speaking, that they abound with a greasy se- 

 cretion, from the skin, — (not stiff hard gnm) but 

 an oily substance, which spreads itself through the 

 whole fleece, so that the surface assumes a blackish 

 or dark drown appearance and retaining the dust 

 and soil, forms with it a coat that contributes large- 

 ly to defend the animals from the ill eflf'cts of cold 

 and wet. It improves rather than injures the 

 quality of the fleece beneath, and it is easily re- 

 moved by ordinary brook washing. 



The wool is of very uniform fineness, close and 

 compact and extends quite down to the hoofs and 

 over the face. 



In this part of (he country there is a general dis- 

 position to gjt rid of the light/eecei^ and light con- 

 slitutioned shce\^ and replace them by Ihe Siianish 

 merinos, as we formerly had them. Before (he re- 

 turn of another season I intend to import' from 

 Spain, for the use of my own littlj flock, (for the 

 benefit of a cross of blood) two merino bucks, that 

 shall possess as far as possible, the great requisites 

 of quantity SittA quality. ' T. 



Hartford, Ct. August, 183.5. 



i||iscuously. The crowns are all up about eiglit 

 inches high, and look very flourishing. On exam- 

 ining the bed in which Ihe sides were ])'Hnted I 

 find them just sprouting, being but about one incli 

 from the bulb, the surface of the ground having no 

 appeai-ance of vegetation whatever. The other 

 two beds have c<une upas they were planted, pro- 

 miscuously, presenting a very rough and uneven 

 appearance, while some are eight inches high, 

 others have not made Iheir way through tlie earth. 

 This patch was planted on the 18th of June, ami 

 I meulion Ihe facts thus far developed, to encour- 

 age others to inake more careful experiment.s, on 

 more extensive scales, and to excite a. spirit of in- 

 quiry, satisfied tliat wc agriculturists have much 

 to learn vet. 



[Fxom the I'armer .ind Gardener. I 

 Inipartanl Sxpei inient in Potato Cnttings. 



Mr Roberts — It being cusirable among culti- 

 vators to produce early vegetables, I take the liber- 

 ty of noticing through your journal, an experi- 

 ment on the potato crop, which may possibly be 

 found useful to your subscribers, and cause our 

 markets to be supplied with new potatoes about 

 two weeks earlier than is cusloniary, besides ena- 

 hiing those who plant them to prevent the rag- 

 ged and uneven appearance which potato crops 

 too generally present when coming u]). In or- 

 der to have a full and satisfactory trial, I caused 

 a large square of ground lo be prejiarcd in my 

 garden, and laid it out in four long beds, all well 

 manured. In one of these beds 1 planted the lop 

 or crown of the potatoes, (mercer) in the next, the 

 sides, and in tlie two last the crowns and sides pro- 



[From the New York Farmer.] 

 POTASH AS A MAISURE. 



I was pleased to see an inquiry suggested in a 

 recent number of the New York Farmer respect- 

 ing the use of poiash as a manure as practised on 

 Long Island, but regret to find no answer furnish- 

 ed by these lo whom Ihe inquiry was directed", in 

 the absence of better information on the subject, 

 permit me to stale whafhas been my brief expe- 

 rience in the use of this manure. 



I had a kt of meadow laud, containingf 'about 

 three acres, which had been reduced to poverty by 

 severe cropping. On this piece of ground I 

 made the following experiment. Having broken 

 up the sward, and harrowed it repeatedly until 

 quite mellow, I spread leached ashes over one 

 acre, and potash dissolved in water oVer the other 

 two acres ; sowed millet seed, clover, and timothv 

 all mixed together, in Ihe proportion of one part of 

 each of the latter to five of the former, and one 

 bushel of the mixture to an acre ; harrowed all in 

 together on or about the first of ilie sixth month. 



The ashes cost fifteen dollars ; the potash five 

 dollars the acre ; the expense aud trouble of dress- 

 ing with poiash, about in the same proportion. 

 And now it was a matter of no small interest to 

 me, a novice at farming, to observe the result of 

 an experiment, which when made, I siijiposed to 

 be entirely original. The crop of millet was fine, 

 and as nearly alike as could have been ex(iectcd, if 

 the land had all been covered with same kind 

 of manure. The clover also, all over the lot, was 

 luxuriant, and gave the strongest evidence, to my 

 mind, that potash is the principal agent in leached 

 ashes, which causes fertility. I made trial of pot- 

 ash on a lot of four acres, which was considered 

 the poorest on my farm, on which i sowed millet 

 with the poiash. I sowed at the same time four 

 other acres without any manure, on ground con- 

 sidered much belter than the last above nientioncd. 

 I cut double the quantity of hay from that dress- 

 ed with potash, aud of a better quality. Thus 

 far my little exiieriencc goes in favor of potash as 

 a manure; hut I niuch desire that some of thy 

 subscribers, of larger experience, and abler pens, 

 would favor us with light on this interesting sub- 

 ject. T. D. 



