262 



NEW ENGLAND F A R i\I E R 



FKB. in, 1841 



A.M< IIORTICULTURAI. REGISTER. 



BoSTO!', WtllNESDAV, FEBRUAIlr 16, 1842. 



HIXTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING AT THE 



STATE HOUSE. 



Suhjcct — Sheep Husbandry. 



Mr Buckniiiisti^r, E<l. of PIciwnian, said ihnl lie former- 

 Ij kepi xiioxp, butdoca noinind it |iro(itiil>le now nnar the 

 city. Tlio sheep is a great gnrmondizer — natiirnlisls 

 tell us lliat ilssloinanh is lar^ior in proportion tn ild sizr , 

 thiin lliiit nl' iiny other domestic animal. He would re- 

 pent Olio nf'liis iibsurd notions adv.incrd last )e(ir for the 

 purpose of bringing on debate. The absurdity is this — 

 thut he has not round the manure of sheep as gnod as 

 that of cows. Also, it is an old niixiin, that one ho^ 

 will make as much manure as two cOwb — but he thinks 

 one cow as good for making manure as two li"gs. 



A gentleman, name not known, said he would suggest 

 a few qiioslions as to llto most profitaldc kinds of shec[>. 

 There iire n lew South Downs among us — there are 

 Spanish .Merino and Sa.tony, good for wool. The Irish 

 • niully fici^d and white faced, good lor mutton — which 

 is the most profitable? 



Mr Fitn.h, of Sheffield, r.'plied, that if the object is to 

 get looo/, th" Merinos and Saxonies are heat; but if ma(- 

 toti is wanted, the large, longwooled are to bo chosen. 

 The Saxon,' is from the .Merino. The oliject ainie.d .-it 

 in Saxony vi:\sfinettrss of fleece. At present prices, the 

 Merino is morn profitable thau the Saxony, taking 

 weight of fleece and constitution borti into the nceouni. 

 They p'oduce almost twice as much. Saxonies will 

 give a fleece of 2 1-4 lbs , which %vill bring 50 cents. A 

 flock of 40 Merinos, in Connecticut, with- which lie is 

 acqiiainli'd, (.ave iJOO lbs. of wool, or 5 lbs. each, worth 

 from 3-i to 40 cents; — the same flock gave 40 lambs. 

 The nheop have every attention and ore well kept. Has 

 himself lakin IC lbs. of wool fiom two Merino bucks. 

 The Merino is more hardy than the Saxony — hears the 

 winter belter and requires legs attention at the time of 

 lambi-ig. At birth the Merino lambs are clothed — 

 while the Saxony are almost snaked. Fineness of wool 

 is gctieralty an iinlication of degeneracy — and Hnoness 

 of hair on the human head indicates the same. 



The lineness of Saxony wool has been produced by 

 breeding in and-in. Tbis course brings di-generacy. 

 These shei*p require a close house and much care. The 

 Merino will do well with much less atteiiliim. Thinks 

 sheep manure good ; and when properly littered they 

 will make more from a ^'ivou qnunuty ol food than cat- 

 tle. They improve fields nioro when feeding upon 

 tliem. 



Mr TidJ, of Mow Brainlree, asked whether Mt Fitch 

 had been speaking of pure Mniinoa. 



Mr Fitch. Yes. Tho Merino will give as much 

 wool as any nlhr.r shoep of ilie same weight: Tho ex- 

 pense of keeping is in proportion to size : the wool is in 

 proportion to surface. The solid contents of rylinders 

 are as tho cubes of their diameters : the surface is as the 

 squares. So that if the siieep are of equal length and 

 round, the sm.iiler one will hnvo the mont surface in 

 proportiim to weight. [Let the diameter of imc (heep 

 be 2, and of another 3. The square of 2 is 4 ; its cube 

 is 8. The sqmiic of 3 is 9— its cube is 27. The surfi- 

 co« in these cases are as 4 to 9 — while the bulk, weight, 

 or s'llid eootenls is as S to -7,— showing that there is 

 obviously good ground for Mr F.'s conclusion, that a 

 larger anixunt of sheep surface or wool ground can be 

 maintained at the same vxpciiae on small sheep than on 

 Urge ones. — lUyortcr.] 



Wool on l.iige sheep is generally looser than on small 

 ones The small have the mo.st wool in proportion to 

 sizo. Merinoand n itive cross give good slock of fine 

 constitution — better than Merino and Saxony cross. 



Mr Plunkelt, of Pitl8li> Id, said his experience is not 

 much, but ho thinks that sheep shou'd bo suited to tho 

 soil. Small ones are best for hills ami short pastures, 

 larger ones f^>r rich pastures and meadows. He can 

 make about as many pounds of fino wool as of coarse 

 on the same quantity nf lied. Tho luising of sheep has 

 not been a very good business latly, owirii' to the low 

 price of \vool — but perhaps it has hp.tn as good as most 

 other liranches of fartning. A cause of the low prices 

 and of need of beltei- protection, may be found in the 

 following statistics. 



The growth of wool in the United States is piobably 

 not less than forty millions ol pounds It may be as- 

 sumed that one half of this amount is worked up in our 

 manufdiTluring establish men is. 



" Tlio importance of this branch of agricultural industry 

 is not only great, considered of itself, hut in its effect on 

 the other branches of ngriculliiriil labor. If the farmers 

 are drivin from the wool growing business by low prices 

 of wool, then the dairy and beef growing business will 

 j become depressed from over production of those great 



; Staples. 

 1 



It is well known to the farming interest that at the 

 present time the price of wool is very iiiueh depressed, 

 and that our wool growers are generally desirous of get- 

 ting out of that kind of farming ; anil it might be useful 

 to inquire into all the causes that have tended to this de- 

 pression. 



By the compromise of the tariff question in 1832, all 

 foreign wool costing at tlin place from whence imported 

 less than eight ceiiis per pound, was admitted free of 

 duty. There was imjiortid in the year ending Sopt. 

 1832, 4,042,838 lbs. ; out of this amount were exported 

 1,227,059 lbs ; leaving less than three millions of lbs. to 

 be consumed in this country. 



Tlie imponation <if wool has gradually increased 

 since that time. In the year ending Sept. .30th, 1838, 

 there was imported 6,908,365 lbs. ; 0,551,126 of which 

 were imported free of duty. In tho year ending Sept. 

 30th, 1639, there was imported 7,.'^24,548 lbs.; 7,398,519 

 of which were imported free of duty. Only 9,800 H)S. 

 were exported during the sumo year. Mr P. has not 

 been able 10 asccilain the importation ol wool in tho 

 years of 1840 and '41. We may, however, from known 

 ficlsobout the importation of wool, cahulote the amount 

 impirtf^d in the l.ist year to exceed ten millions pounds; 

 an^amouIlteqllal to about one half of what is raised by our 

 farmers in this counir)' to be sold to the manufacturers. 



Ileie wo hcvo a principal cnusunf the great depres- 

 sion of the price of wool at this time. 



Frauds are practiced in the importation of foreign 

 wool, which def'iaud tho government of revenue and 

 oppress a large agricultural interest. This is done by 

 the mixing, -in the foreign country, dirty nnd coarse woid 

 with better qualities, and even dirt is mixed with the 

 wool, so that tho compound is worth lisj than eight 

 cents, also by importing it on the skin in a filthy slate. 



This wool, much of it, is as good as the Inwcr grades : 

 of onr own fleece wool, and all of it lake* the place of j 

 just such an amount of American raiseil wool. | 



It may be said justly, that iho price of wool is as high I 

 as manufacturers can afford to pay, with the present | 

 price of cloths. Still the farming interest ought not to I 

 be sacrificed to the manufacturing interest — tho one 

 ought to be 08 much protected as the other. This is a 

 subject which rails for tho immediate action of Congress I 

 to correct the evil. 



Mr .Merriam, Ed. ol the Cultivator, stated that 

 ranibliog propensities of sheep may be owing to the fi 

 that they will oat a greater variety of plains than ol 

 animals, and perhaps require a greater variety. ]t 

 been proved in England that they will not do wull 

 turnips alone, for more thin six weeks: they requi 

 bitters. He related the facts of the well known expel 

 ment in France, by which it was proved that youi 

 bucks and older ewes produce more female than 

 offspring, and that older bucks and young ewes prodi 

 more males tlian feniahs. Ilrceding in- ind-in not gi 

 The manure, where they arc we'll littered, is worth mi 

 than that of any other animals. He added a little to 

 I'lunkett's statistics, and urged the importancaof mi 

 effectual protection of the wool growing interests. 



MrC'de, Ed. Fanner's Journal, has had cxperi 

 with but few kinds; first had natives— next 7-8 SaxOI 

 This flock gave fleeces of from 4 to 6 lbs. The Saxoi 

 where he lived in Maine, was preferred to any othi 

 The reports of the Agricultural Society of Kennal 

 county, Mc, show that they picfir the South Downa 

 any others. I'ngtutes for sheep should be high and 

 They do best in dry seasons. He has n<:ver g«en l! 

 drink in summer. In winter tliey will drink oftei 

 than cattle. Clover hay is good feed for them. lloolA 

 are excellent for them in winter, but they should not 

 have many potatoes just before lambing; better then to 

 give some grain. Evergreen boughs are ofXen given an4 

 answer a good purpose in feeding. The manure is bet* 

 ter than most other kinds. (L. Peters, Esq., of VVeBibo« 

 ro'jinqoircd what kind of grain lie would give.) Uoef 

 not know whether corn or oats is to be preferred, bul 

 would grind in either case. 



Mt Aloseley,of Westfield, has fiiund the Johnswoi 

 poisonous and troublesome to shiep when he gives thci 

 salt, but not so when sail is withhelJ. Ten sheep, with 

 him, require two tons of hay worth 24 dollars; can get 

 13 dollars worth of wool and 12 of lambs ; and by throw 

 ing in the'pasturing come out square : — that is the way 

 fanners arc getiing rich. Their manure is good. 



Mr West, of Pittsficid, is not a woul grower, but soma 

 of his ueighbors have large flocks. One who has 1 

 lar;;e flock keeps them in barn rcllars, grates his roots 

 and cuts his fodder mostly. I'roiertinn of this interest 

 is loudly called for,and our people should answer to lbs 

 call. 



Mr Lalhrop, cif South Hadley, pave an interesting ac- 

 count of a small flock of South Down shoep, which ha 

 is satisfied do well in small flocks, but has not tried them 

 in large numbers. Iln gave many facts relating to tha 

 sire of these sheep and the ease with which lliry take 

 on fat, that we did not hear with siifliciunt ^islinctnera 

 to note with aceuruey. Thinks that 8 fair sized sheep 

 will eat about as much as one cow. Fresh earth mixed 

 with milk will counteract the poisonous ellocts of laurel 

 —(laiiib-kill or kill-lamb.) 



Mr Merriam has found that cast it oil will cure. 



Mr Tidd says that shot will do the aame. 



WILL OF BENJAMIN BUSSEY, ESQ. 

 Lost week wo copied from one of the riiy papers a i 

 brief account of Mr Biissey's uill, frimt which it inighl 

 be inferred that one hiiir<.( his large property (§;3.'>0,(I(I0,) 

 is to be I'mmer/irirt'i/ applied to the esiablishuient of an 

 agricultural school or college. One half of the estate ii 

 lieqiieallied for that jiurpose, but not nil after ihedeceasa. 

 of Mrs B. and also of two other persons who are ye 

 }'oung. According to the usual course of Provtdenc6|] 

 the property will be in possession of the family untifl 

 unotiior generation uf agriculturists shall conic upon th*j 

 stage. 



A good book and a good woman nro excellent thing! J 

 for those who know how justly to appreciate their val- 



