iO 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



us it (]o2s not s?em anrcasoiuihlc. There is another 

 jjain of power in this machine from the slower rev- 

 olution of the pole-changers. We would have 

 stated before that this improvement of Mr. Paine's 

 is not introduced in the apparatus which we saw 

 operatinjT. Mr. Paine thinks this larger machine 

 will feed a thousand burners. Tliis we are not so 

 sanguine as to believe, but we have no doubt it will 

 light a considerable hotel. 



In the engraving above one of the sets of magnets 

 and all the helices are hidden by the frame work. 

 Our readers, however, have seen a very good rep- 

 resentation of this part of the a])paratus in our 

 Thursday's paper. 



For the New England Farmer. 



SEIiECTION OF SHEEP FOR BREED- 

 ING. 



Mr. Editor: — In a former communication (vol. 2, 

 p. 156,) I spoke of the feeding and general manage- 

 ment of slieep, and I will make a few remarks on se- 

 lection for l)reeding; a matter vvliieh has a more im- 

 portant bearing upon the improvement of our flocks 

 and success in sheep husbandry, than proper win- 

 ter and summer keep, and good management in 

 other respects; and still one that is more generally 

 neglected by tiie majority of wool-growers. 



When our flock of ewes are not below a medium 

 character, it is perhaps the most judicious and eco- 

 nomical course to select the most valuable ones, 

 and couple them with a buck of highly approved 

 qualities, as one superior ram may have as great an 

 influence on the improved character of the ofl'spring 

 as .50 or 75 ewes of like merits. 



The importance of breeding from none but the 

 best bucks is not seemingly fully a])preciated by 

 only a small j»ortion of wool-growers. Many have 

 not a convenient opportunity to select such bucks, 

 and rather than be at the trouble and expense ol 

 procuring them, use those of an inferior quality; 

 and some think it more profitable to make use of 

 an ordinary animal than pay a lii)eral price tor a 

 good one. Such sliould bear in mind that the value 

 of the offspring of two bucks from ewes of a like 

 (Quality may vary from 25 cents to $1,00 or more 

 per head; and this on a flock of 50 ewes would ren- 

 der it advantageous to pay even an extravagant 

 price for a good buck, rather tiian use a poor one 

 if it were given to them. 



Again, there are farmers who are anxious to im- 

 prove their flocks and willing to pay liberally for 

 the means, but have not hadsufflcient experience in 

 the examination and comparison of the different 

 breeds and flocks to know what constitutes the most 

 desiralile form and fleece; and consequently are not 

 qualified for making the best selections. 



I will here speak of what I conceive to be some of 

 the most valuable qualities of a stock buck for wool- 

 growing purposes. It should l)e remarked that all 

 of the desirable properties are seldom if ever united 

 in the highest degree of perfection in one animal, 

 and the best we can do is to choose those that approx- 

 imate nearest to what we wish. 



It is of the fit St importance that a stock buck 

 should be a descendant fiom a ])ure and thorough 

 bred flock. T'nless this condition is complied with 

 he will be subject to hereditary defects not visible 

 to the eye in the animal we select, but which will 

 be perceptible in many of his ofl'spring. 



Much attention should be paid to the form. A 



good symmetrical structure is not only gratifying t« 

 the fancy, but an index to many valuable proper- 

 ties. The liody should be long, with a deep, 

 wide chest, broad back, round and well spread hips, 

 swelling barrel, but no sag, short legs, thick, short, 

 well raised neck, wide between the eyes, face short 

 and wide, and not too wliite; that portion of it des- 

 titute of wool should be covered with fine, soft, 

 short downy hair. The skin around the eye should 

 be of a chocolate color, and it is a good sign t<» 

 have the lips resemble tiiis color, or have dark spots 

 upon them. Such marks of the face are good evi- 

 dence of purity of blood and valuable sheep The 

 skin on the body should be of a light pink color — 

 very loose, with small rolls on the neck (large one.s 

 are liable to throw out ;'«;•) and many folds should 

 be perceptible on other ])arts when shorn, especial- 

 ly on the ribs, flanks, and round the tail. A loose 

 skin and many folds are traits nmch esteemed bv 

 the German wool-growers at the present time — 

 they being so universally connected with a heavv 

 fleece and high bred sheep. 



The Germans for many years selected sheep for 

 breeding with smooth tight skins, but experienc' 

 proved to them that such sheep had delicate con- 

 stitutions and light fleeces, and now for a number ot 

 years past they have selected bucks of an opposite 

 character, and have succeeded in obtaining sheep 

 with a hardy constitution and heavy fleece, with a 

 high degree of fineness. 



A buck should have a bold, yet docile look, and 

 magestic carriage; and one with the above tbrm. 

 look and appearance, will almost universally have 

 a hardy constitution, which is indispensable for a 

 healthy and vigorous offspring, quiet disposition, 

 and a close thick set fleece, which should be of good 

 length and fineness on all parts of the body. He 

 should be well wooled over the head and down on 

 the legs to the hoof. This is not so important for 

 the extra amount of wool grown on those parts, but 

 it is a sure sign of a heavy shearer and one that 

 will generally cut more wool on the same surfao<- 

 on the bodytha« those destitute of wool on the ex- 

 tremities. Particular attention should be paid to 

 the properties of the wool on dilTcrcnt parts of the 

 body. There should be as much uniformity as pos- 

 sible in the fineness, length and compactness of the 

 wool throughout the fleece. We frequently meet 

 with sheep with fine wool on the shoulder and 

 back, and quite coarse wool on the belly, flanks. 

 legs, &c. And it ma}' be of good length and thick- 

 ness on the l)ack and sliouhler. and comparatively 

 thin and short on other parts. This unevenness 

 naturally lessons the value of the fleece, and cannot 

 be too much guarded against in a stock buck. 



The color of the wool, and form it naturally a.s- 

 suracs on the sheep, is a matter of high consider- 

 ation. Indeed, an experienced eye can judge 

 very accurately of the quality of the wool and char- 

 acter of the sheep from the external appearance of 

 the fleece. The wool should have a dark, even 

 surface but open white, (or creamy white) and glos- 

 sy, and grow in small cylindrical tufts, which should 

 not be united to each other by cross hairs, or coars<' 

 wool, and the smaller divisions or strands compos- 

 ing tiiose tufts should be free from' twist. The 

 fibre should have short and uniform curors. This 

 is an excellent test of fineness. It is a rule, with 

 seldom an exception, that the greater the number 

 of curors within a given span the better the quality 

 of the wool. The description which I have given 



