858 



NEW ENGLAND F A R xM E R , 



MAT 18, ISle. 



SrSW 5SlSr<3!£>A^2S' a'ii.!!iSSI33^» 



nOSTON. WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 18, 1836. 



FARMERS' WORK. 



Shearing Sheep. — Jt is stated in Desin's New England 

 Farmer lli:it we shear our Slieep in general too eaily in 

 this country In England wliere the Spring is more 

 forwaid than in this country they generally postpone 

 nhearin;; till about the middle or towards the latter end ol 

 June. But Mr Lawrence, an eniincnl English agricul- 

 tural writer is ofiipinion that the Shearing uf Sheep had 

 belter be delayed till towards mid-summer, especially in 

 cold and backward springs, because in such season we 

 rarely,' before that period have settled weather. Besides 

 e more perfect fleece is obtained, and a fuller yolk from 

 the perspiration of the animal. 



It is stated by Loudon that " Sheep Shearing in Rom- 

 ney ."Marsh, [England] commences about mid-summcr,and 

 finishes about the middle of July. Those who shear 

 latest are of opinion that they g.nin half a pound weight 

 in every fleece by the intreased perspiration of the Sheep 

 ar.d consequent growth of the wo(d. Besides they slate 

 that in early shearing the wool has not the condition 

 which it afterwards acquires But in late shearing the 

 fleece will have the less time to grow, so as to protect 

 the animal against the rigor of the ensuing v/inler ; and 

 ifa year's interval is allowed between each clipping time, 

 after your routine is established the wool will have had 

 the same period for its growth whether you shear early 

 or late. Sheep with fine fleeces, which are shorn without 

 being washed on the back of the anim; I may be clipped 

 earlier in the season than those which are exposed to 

 suffer for half an hour or more in cold water. Clippin^ 

 off the coarse soiled wool about the thighs and necks 

 some weeks before the usual time of washing and clip- 

 ping the Sheep is an excellent practice, as by this means 

 the Sheep are kept clean and cool when the season is 

 lioiaud with ewes the udder is prevented from becoming 

 sore." 



Mr Lawrence, the writer above quoted, states further 

 as follows : " It has frequently appeared to me on re- 

 flection, that it miglil be preferable to shear all kinds of 

 Sheep unwashed, anu to wash tliem after shearing, when 

 it would be much more effectual with respect to their 

 health Such as were affected wi h Tiulness or eruption 

 of the skin migh: be washed and scrubbed in a ley of 

 water ami wood aslies in a large tub which would 

 contain three. It would both conduce to the health of 

 the Sheep and promo.e ihc regular growth of the wool 

 VVoid would probably keep best in the grease, and dust 

 might be shaken from it. Any difficulty in respect to 

 Gx.iig the piece of wool in an unwashed state would 

 vanish in a season or two. 



(n separating for the purpose of washing, the flock is 

 brought to the side of the washing pool, and those lambs 

 and sheep which are fit to be washed are put into separ- 

 ate enclosures. Such lambs as are too young to be clip- 

 (>ed are not washed, but confined in a field or inclosiire 

 ofany k.nd, at such a distance from the washing place 

 that they may not disturb their mothers by bleating. 



in perhrrming the operation of washing, it was former- 

 ly the method to have the washer stand up to llicir 

 breasts in the water; but from the inconvenieme and 

 danger of it, (the men requiring a large supply of spirit- 

 ous liquors, and being liable to be attacked with colds, 

 rheumat.sms and other diseases,) various oihi:r modes of 

 liorfinning the operalion have been proposed. Among 



others, that of sinking an empty hogshead or other vessel 

 of suffii:ient capacity for a man to stand in while washing 

 the Sheep niny be as eligible as any. A boat near a 

 bold shore ' fa sheet of water, with one end aground, by 

 which the Sheep is introduced and put overboard, while 

 the man who washes him remains in the boat and ex- 

 tends his arms over the sides and thus performs the ne- 

 cessary manipulations, furnishes a convenient mode of 

 washing Sheep. A small perpendicular water fall, un- 

 der which the Sheep to be washed are conducted may 

 likewise be used to advantage for this purpose. 



FiNSBURV Lkctubks, No. I — This is the first of a se- 

 ries of lectures, seven in all, delivered in London by the 

 Uev. W. J. Fox, well known for his sermons on various 

 subjects, many volumes of which have been published 

 in this country and have had an extensive sale. The 

 series is on " iMor.ility as modified by the various classes 

 into which so, iety is divided.'' They have passed 

 through four editions in London, have been submitted to 

 the inspection of several gentlemen here, and their ap- 

 proval and recommendation have induced the publishers 

 to issue them in a cheap tbrm for general circulation. 

 They will appear from the press of Tuttle, Weeks, and 

 Denm tt, Boston, at intervals of about two weeks, and 

 will embrace the morals of seven different classes and 

 professions in society. 



We have read the first lecture, entitled the " Morality 

 iif Porf.rty " wiili pleasure and approbation, and will 

 liere give a specimen of the author's style and sentiments 

 that cmr readers may form someesiimate of his objects in 

 Ills first lecture. 



"The notions which so closelv connect in their minds 

 [the minds of poor people] the inventitm and m cliinery 

 with their own distress are amongst the results of a want 

 of knowledge most devoutly to be deprecated. Could 

 the machinery of that country [Great Britain] be by one 

 stroke of a giant arm annibilalcd what tongue can tell 

 the results, the tremendous results of misery that would 

 instantly be realized ! Earth has never yet seen ; no 

 siege of a city, however prolrticted ; no war, however 

 bloody and desolating: no revolution, however wild and 

 ferocious, has ever shown a parellal to the misery that 

 wouM instantly descend upon the lie.-ids of millions, 

 could any such idea be realized. The means not only 

 of clothing but of food and migration would instantly fail 

 us ; we should be shut up from the rest of the world ; 

 we should be reduced to a state in which it would not be 

 strange if oven cannibalism were to ensue. The hostility 

 to machinery to be consistent must be universal. Every 

 class of workmen h.ts the same right ; and if the agri- 

 cultural liborer be justified in destroying the threshing 

 machine, the weaver had a right to destroy the power 

 loom ; the printer's pressm in would be right in destroy- 

 ing the steam press ; the waterman would be right in 

 dismantling the steam vessel ; and so throughout the 

 whole compass of society. We should be thrown hack 

 into a state uf privation, helplessness and utter barba- 



(Froin tlis Pittslield Sun.) 

 Nineteen years experience has led me to consider the< 

 Ruta f aga a valuable crop ; but as no persons in this vi- 

 ( inity seemed inclined to make the trial, I had almost be- 

 gan to entertain doubts if that opinion might not be in 

 correct; e.spfcially as the Agricultural Society here, un 

 til the present year, turned a deaf ear to my frequen 

 and urgent solicitations to offer premiums on half acies 

 to promote, experiments, ll would seem, however, froii 

 the recent and /requent applications for informational 

 to my manner of cultivating this root, that its value i: 

 beginning to be appreciated in Berkshire. And as per 

 sons Iti distant towns may be desirous of information Ol 

 the subject 1 am induced to state that this root require 

 a dry ralher than a moist soil . The land should bi 

 clean and mellow ; such for instance as was in Corn o 

 Potatoes last year ; or luif or stubble ploughed last fall 

 In either case, it should be ploughed again this spring 

 and well harrowed. Previous to sowing, hariow i 

 again, and lay the land in furrows about twenty scve 

 inches apart, put the maiiuie therein, and cover by 'urn 

 ing a back furrow carefully on each side, so that they ma 

 not quite meet together. In this space, or opening, th 

 seed should be sown, then ap|ily a small ridler to th 

 drills, and sow on ashes at the rate ol about ten bushe 

 the acre. 1 use about fifteen loads of straw manure 1 

 the acre. Time of sowing, from the fifteenth to the tent 

 July, and if practicable, just before a rain Tke rolh 

 should be about four and a hall feet long and ten inchi 

 diameter. When the leaves are about the size of a te 

 cent piece, use a small expanding harrow, that will st 

 the earth within three inches of the plants; and wh( 

 the roots are about the size of a pipe stem, liarrow aga 

 and thin out the plants with a small hoe to the distant 

 of about eight inches ; anolher harrowing and hoeil 

 will be benefici.-il. nay indispensable, should weeds a 

 pear, or the soil bake. 



At harvesting, pull and throw together five rows, ar 

 cut the tops, so as to rake off .ell the leaves; but not 1 

 close to the crown. Itshouldbe done in dry weath 

 Put thi^m in a dry, cool cellar, and they will keep sou 

 and hard into June. 



In my estimation the Ruta Baga is excellent food f 

 HornCaltle, H>rses and Sheep, either raw or steami 

 Four hundred bushels per acre is a good crop. I cons 

 er them of equal value to Potatoes, for feeding, busi 

 for bushel; and fi>r Sheep, especially Ewes, preferab 

 The amount of labor required is rot lis much f^ir Corn 

 Potatoes. THOMAS MELVILL. 



PiUsfield, March 0, 1S3G. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAl. SOCIETY. 



. SatiirJ.-iy, May 14, 1830. 

 EZUrBITION or FRUITS. 



Api't.ES. — Belmont, a superb app e of very superior 

 beauty and flavor by Charles H. Homstcad, Cayuga Co. 

 Oli'in — a fruit which originated at that place or on the 

 borders gf Lake Erie. 



Scions of the same were also distiibuted by the same 

 gentleman. A few more also may he obtained at the 

 store of G. C Baukktt, 51 & 52 Noith M..rket Street. 



Mr Clay has recently imported for his farm at Ai 

 land, (Ky.) eight or ti n of the finest cattle that hi 

 been seen in that stale. 



Conduct like this, is ihe true American system, 

 which Mr Clay should aim. ll will ensure him a r 

 utatiim more enduring and profitable, than any thing 

 has yet done, in the whole course of his distinguial 

 career. — Southern Jjgriculturist. 



Louisiania contains 31,000,(100 .icresof land, only) 

 millions of winch are in the hands of private individui 

 the rest belongs to the United States. There are 

 sixteen millions unsurveyed. 



Barley.. — A subscribar informs us that from a W 

 gcstion made in this paper, that he was induced to w 

 his barley in lime water and roP it in plaster before It 

 ing. His expectations were realized, the crop be 

 larger than usual, and more fiee from smul than any 

 had ever seen before. — Gen. For, 



