PRACTICAL FARMER. 



73 



[From the New England Farmer.] 

 MERINO SHEEP. 



Mr Fessenden — Having for many years been 

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

 you the result of my experience, and if it should 

 not correspond with the observation of other 

 l)reeders, 1 can assure them, my flock has never 

 suffered, from want of care and exjiense in their 

 first purcliase, for unwearied attention to their 

 management or for the good condition in which 

 they have uniformly been kept. The sheep wei'e 

 provided with good pasture in summer and exten- 

 sive, airy sheds in winter, and fed on English hay, 

 with a few potatoes towards spring. The merino 

 sheep imported into this country, from 1803 to 

 1811, were chiefly of the Spanish Escurial, the 

 Paular, Gaudaloupe, Infantado, Montano and 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 

 fleeces. My flock was fro ii the Paular and Gau- 

 daloupe, and particularly distinguished for the 

 quantity and quality of their wool, and differs 

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

 with a more evident degree of throatiness. Their 

 Iambs were generally produced with a coarse, 

 hairy appearance, which was succeededby a coat 

 of unusual closeness and of excellent quality. 

 Among the great numbers of sheep imported into 

 this country, individuals belonging to the same 

 fiocUs differ greatly in the size of the carcass, as 

 well as the weight and fineness of the fleece. The 

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

 quantity and quality, for, with the first requisite I 

 always found the hardiest, strongest constitutions. 

 I endeavored to obtain a fleece that would pro- 

 duce the greatest profit and so well had I succeed- 

 ed that to the time when Saxony sheep were in- 

 troduced, the entire flock averaged four and a 

 quarter to four and a half pounds of washed wool, 

 and sold at seventy to seventyfive cents per pound. 

 There were no wethers in the flock. Ewes 

 would shear from three and three quarters to four 

 and a quarter pounds, Bucks from six to nine 

 pound;--. Yearlings from four to four and a 

 half. 



On the importation of Saxony sheep I bought 

 largely, confident I should soon realise in fineness, 

 more than I lost in the diminished quantity of the 

 merino fleeces. But I was sadly disappointed, 

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

 still more by feebleness of constitution. ]My me- 

 rino lambs used to dro[) in March, and their close 

 hairy coats afibrded a protection at once. But 

 1 found March was too cold for my delicate, half 



naked little Saxons. I was obliged to have them 

 drop in May. This was a bad arrangement, for 

 when the laml)s were weaned, it was so late in 

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

 formerly. The merino lambs were so hardy that 

 the loss of one, could almost alwajs be traced 

 to some accident or neglect, but the Saxons would 

 die in s[)ite of all my care and attention, full fif- 

 teen and twenty per cent. The average weight of 

 my fleeces became very much reduced and I never 

 so'd my clip for over eighty cents ]jer pound. 

 Two years ago I became satisfied of my mistake 

 and loss, occasioned by the Saxons, and sold out 

 the whole, reserving to myself such of my old me- 

 rinos as I could select, that had escaped the gen- 

 eral slaughter, and by repurchasing some, I had 

 previously sold, I have now a small flock of merinos 

 with which I shall be satisfied, without further 

 experiments. The ewes, with two exceptions, 

 have lambs by their sides and their fleeces in June 

 averaged four pounds one ounce. 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 ])ecuriarity of the merinos, of which I 

 am speaking, that they abound with a greasj- se- 

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

 an oily substance, which spreads itself through the 

 whole fleece, so that tlie surface assumes a blackish 

 or dark drown appearance and retaining the dust 

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

 h' to defend the animals from the ill effects of cold 

 a>id 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 tlic face. 



In this part of the countrj' there is a general dis- 

 position to g-jt rid of the Wghxjlecced and light con- 

 stitutioned sheep and replace them by the Spanish 

 merinos, as we formerly had them. Before the 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 qnantity and quality. T. 



Hartford, Ct. August, 1835. 



KENRICIC'S ORCHARDIST. 



[We copy the following notice of this truly valuable 

 work from tiu; New York Farmer.] 



This second edition of Mr Kenrick's work is 

 very much enlarged and improved. The me- 

 chanical part, in character with the Boston press, 

 is very beautiful. The title of the work denotes 

 its comprehensiveness and probable usefulness : 



