NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



245 



first found it, and he ought to have the credit. For 

 these reasons I have thought it not unfair to an- 

 nounce to the public, through your columns, the 

 name of the true original discoverer, the time, 

 place and history of its origin. 



It u'as discovered in the winter of 1836, by 

 Henry Glahs, son of George Glahs, whilst at work 

 one day threshing wheat. (George Glahs lives 

 near Freeburg, Union County, Pa.) He happened 

 to observe one head quite diOerent from the rest. 

 He picked it up and shelled it, and found it to con- 

 tain much larger and finer grains than the other 

 heads; part of it being already shelled before it 

 was taken up. He only retained sixteen grains. 

 These he put in his desk to preserve, with tiie in- 

 tention of sowing them the coming season. When 

 the time arrived, and his grain already green in 

 the fields, he thought of his new seed in the desk 

 Immediately he planted the sixteen grains, which 

 brought sixteen heads for the next year; the third 

 year brought nearly half a bushel; the fourth year 

 he gathered from the products of the third six bush- 

 els, and the fifth year the product was one hundred 

 and ten bushels. In a few years all the farmers in 

 the neighborhood raised it in abundance. It also 

 soon spread over the State, and, as I before said, 

 is cultivated largely in many of the other States. 



At the same time, the Hon. John Sydney, then 

 a member of Congress, addressed a letter to my fa- 

 ther, which contained an order for a certain amount 

 of this wheat, to be sent to Baltimore for some 

 Virginia farmers. The amount for which the or- 

 der called, and some more to the amount of two 

 thousand bushels, were sent down by boats, most 

 of which was sold to the Virginians for seed. Mr. 

 George Glahs, on whose farm it was first cultivated, 

 is still living. He has attained the age of seventy- 

 three. — J. w. G. — Selin''s Grove, 1851. — Philadd- 

 fhia Dollar Neivspaper. 



THE PURE MERINOS OF FRANCE, 



S. W. Jewett, Esq., of Weybridge, Vermont, 

 whose name has lately been mentioned in the pa- 

 pers in connection with the importation of foreign 

 sheep, has sent us samples of the wool taken from 

 the fieeces of six yearling rams, which, since their 

 arrival in Weybridge, about ten days ago, were 

 shorn in the presence of several gentlemen interest- 

 ed in sheep raising. The fleeces were of less than 

 eighteen months' growth, and the average twenty 

 and a half pounds each, of a fine, even quality of 

 wool, and free from long hairs. The samples may 

 be seen at this office. Mr. Jewett says that this 

 race of large, beautiful animals will compete suc- 

 cessfully with the English breeds for mutton-sheep, 

 owing to the great size of their frames, and the 

 fact that their lambs mature much earlier — the 

 ewes being remarkably large milkers. He says 

 that while in France he actually ate of cheese 

 made from the milk of these ewes. He mentions 

 among the qualities of these Merinos, that they 

 take on fat readily, and are of an exceedingly quiet 

 disposition, a trait which is now hereditary, and is 

 attributed to the fact that, for more than a century, 

 they have been attended by shepherds, and have not 

 been permitted to roam at large. Mr. Jewett 

 says there are now but five flocks in France of the 

 pure Merinos, which descended from the govern- 

 ment flocks in Spain, and that a good deal of ex- 

 citement prevails in France at the present time, 

 among the breeders of these sheep, in consequence 



of visitors from all parts of the world, led thither 

 by the great exhibition in London. He saw there 

 a Prussian, by the name of Jacliin, who owns a 

 flock of 44,000, and two men from Australia, one 

 of whom owned 33,000, and the other 45,000 

 sheep. These men paid as high as $500 for 

 rams, to be sent 8000 miles over the water. Mr. 

 Jewett's purchase is tiie largest, as to amount of 

 money, ever made of foreign live stock by an Amer- 

 ican. Several of the best farmers of Addison 

 county have taken a joint interest with Mr. J. in 

 the flock, and they design to distribute them, as 

 far as they may be wanted, among the wool-grow- 

 ers of Vermont. The whole amount of money ex- 

 pended on this importation is about $30,000. — Bur- 

 lington Sentinel. 



ECONOMY OF FRUIT. 



Every man of family who keeps a good supply 

 of stewing and baking apples, of his own raising, 

 saves a great many hard dollars yearly, otherwise 

 to be paid to the miller or butcher. Or if he 

 raises his own grain and meat, an equal amount is 

 thus reserved for market. Then, what a valuable 

 addition to the comfort, variety and luxury of the 

 table ! By the first of summer, the thick trusses 

 of strawberries begm to redden in the sun; and 

 half a dozen quarts of this melting crimson fruit 

 may be had each day for the table, from as many 

 half-rod beds. Cherries, currants, and raspberries, 

 continue through the first half of summer, followed 

 by early juicy apples; rich, bloom-dusted plums: 

 golden, perfumed apricots; and buttery and melt- 

 ing pears. 



Now, we do not say, assome mistakenly remark, 

 that this fine and delicious supply costs nothing af- 

 ter the trees are planted; for good fruit cannot be 

 relied on, unless the ground is well cultivated and 

 manured. But it does not cost half as much to 

 cultivate an acre of fruit, as an acre of potatoes or 

 corn; while the amount obtained is greater than 

 either; and all ready for the table, without going 

 through the process which the grain crop requires, 

 of threshing and winnowing, and grmding, and 

 kneading and baking. 



By planting rich, high-flavored apples for stew- 

 ing and for pies, instead of poor and insipid ones, 

 each family may save fifty, a hundred, or two hun- 

 dred pounds of sugar annually, in sweetening and 

 spices. A friend of ours finds it cheaper to buy 

 good fall pippins for fifty cents a bushel, than poor 

 sorts sold as "cooking apples," for fifteen cents a 

 bushel. He uses the Talman Sweeting largely, 

 for baking and for puddings, and thinks that an In- 

 dian apple pudding, made by this natural sweeten- 

 ing, the cheapest and best pudding in tiie world. — 

 He saves from $75 to $100 annually in the cost of 

 his table, by his fruit. 



DAIRY STOCK. 



A writer in the Agricultural Gazette recom- 

 mends the following mode of managing a milk 

 stock, the principles of which are followed by the 

 besc milk-selling farmers. Curry and wisp tiie 

 cattle once a day, give water twice a day, when in 

 the stall, and an hour's airing in the yard. Let the 

 food be given to them exactly at the same hour ev- 

 ery day; and likewise the water. Wlien fi)()d is 

 given and the cow does not take it readily, take it 

 from her and ]m her be without any until next 



