S54 



yards from the same wei/ht of wool — and deteri 

 orates the quality of the cloth. Each stono [8 

 lbs.] of clean wool will make as many as 104 

 salved. And a saving of a full eigluh part of the 

 whole qi-antity of wool jjrown in the northern dis- 

 tricts, would be made, if the use of tar were dis- 

 pensed with. Salved wool requires a greater 

 quantity of wares (logwood. &c.) than clean, and 

 yet the colours are always faint and dull." 



But, though an ointment in which tar greatly 

 preiloniinates is probably injurious to sheep, we 

 have good authority for the use of tar, properly 

 combined with an oily substance. A writer in 

 Rees' Cyclopedia, article Wool, says much in 

 favor of a composilion, much used in iSforthumber 

 land, Eng. and gi-.-es the following directions for 

 maki.ig it ; " From sixteen to twenty pounds of 

 butter are place 1 over a gentle fire, and molted ; 

 a gallon of tar is then adoe 1. and tlic mixture is 

 then stirred with a stick until the tar and butter 

 are well combined, and for a soft tei.acious oint- 

 ment." Some skill is required in its application. 

 The locks should be divided, and the ointment ap- 

 plied directly to the skin. It does no good to ap- 

 ply it to the out:iiJe of the wool, but i; must come 

 in contact with the skin. This is best effected by 

 opening the wool along the neck and back, and 

 applying the oint:iient ,vith the finger. In short, 

 you must apply it in sucli a manner that it will be 

 the most likely to spread over any part of the body. 

 The quantity laid on eachj.nimal diflers in different 

 districts. In the lighter mo le of greasing, one 

 gallon of tar and twenty pounds of butter, will be 

 sufficient for fifty sheep. In Scotlcnd, where 

 greasii^g is applied merely to preserve the animal 

 from the incler.iency of the climate, a much larg- 

 er proportion of tai is used. This wojld he ve'y 

 injurious to the wool were it any otier hut the 

 very coarsest kind To derive the greatest ad- 

 vantaoro from the ointment, both to the wool and 

 the sheep, it should be applied immediately after 



shearing, and again on the approach of winter. 



By the first greasino- the wool will be kept soft 

 and moist during the sultry heat of July and Au- 



NEW^ENGLAND FARMER. 



ing the outside or surface of the fleece, where it 

 will be of more harm than benefit. 



Another method of destroying ticks, though, 

 perhaps, not so immediately efficacious as the 

 toregoinij is to part the wool of the animal on 

 each side of the spiae, from its head to its tail 

 and drop some Scotch snuff or strong tobacco 

 finely powdered in the opening. 



Deane's New England Farmer directs to shear 

 the largest lambs at the time of the new moon in 

 July. " Their fleeces will yield as much" (says 

 the book) " the ne.xt year, and the wool will be 

 better, and as cold storms rarely happen at that 

 time of the year, "the lambs will do better without 

 their fleeces than with them." 



(][J=Tlie following was received some time since 

 but has escaped earlier notice in consequence of 

 having been mislaid. 



out the wool in that part with their teeth, or by 

 gust and the top of the staple will "not "become ! '°''^'' ''^''''^ of wool rising on their backs and 



DISEASE I.\ SHEEP. 

 Mr Fessendek — I ask your assistance in detect- 

 ing the cause of a disorder vvhicii has made its 

 appearnnre in my flock of sheep, the past vvin\er. 

 It appears to be an itching, which causes them' to 

 eat or pull oft' the wool with their mouth, also to 

 kick, and rub it oft'. li has bean the opinion of 

 some, that ticks are the cause ; but I am satisfied, 

 few flocks have less of them than mine. The shebp 

 have had no uncommon keeping, and appear to ^e 

 in perfect health, e.\cept the surface of the sk(n 

 being scurvy. This was first observed among t^e 

 lambs, and has since attacked all ages, and threat- 

 ens much loss of wool, if not the lives of the at^- 

 mals. Information upon this subject will bo grate- 

 fully received by A SUBSCRIBER. 



'Remarks by the Editor — By the description above 

 given, v/e should be inclined to think the disorder 

 adverted to was what writers call the Scab in Sheep, 

 and is analogous to the Mtni^e in horses and dogs, 

 and the f'eh in the human race. " This appears by 

 the sheep rubbing the part affected, and pulling 



to the point of the tail, so as to divide the wi 

 the skin be e.'jposed to the touch. Ne.xt, tj 

 ger, being slightly dipped in the pre'pai 

 should bo drawn along the skin. Similaf 

 should farther be opened down the shoulders 

 thighs, as far as the wool extends ; an4 if the 

 imal be considerably infected, two otiier fi»| 

 are directed to be traced, parallel to that 

 back, and one should likewise be drawn 

 wards, on each side, between the fore nnt 



After this application, the sheep may be I 

 among the flock without any danger of the 

 tion's being communicated. Another remedi 

 ointment composed of tliree parts grease an 

 spirits of turpentine." 



harsh and .liscoloured. One acknowledged ad- 

 vantage of greasing immediately after shearing 

 should not be overlooked — it destroys the sheep 

 tick, and has a tendency to prevent cutaneous dis- 

 tempera and to protect the skin against tlie bite 

 of the fly. 



Mr J. Nelson, of Mecklenburg, Va. has publish- 

 ed a recipe for the scfio in sheep, similar to the 

 above ; and which probibly may answer the same 

 purpose ; which is as f dlows : '• Take three gal- 

 lons of tar and three do. of train oil, boiled to- 

 gether, to which add three pounds of roll brim- 

 stone finely powdered an.i stirred in. This quan 

 tity is stiflicient for CO -li.;ep. It is poured on 

 with a pitcher la de from the top of the back bone 

 to the tai! 



'When the object is suh-'y i],o destruction of 



shoulders. 



" The sheep infected first is to be taken from 

 the flock, and put by itself; and then the part af 

 fected is to have the wool taken off as far as the 

 skin feels hard to the finger, washed with soap suds 

 and rubbed hard with a shoe-brush, so as to cleanse 

 and break the scab. Then anoint it with a dccoc 

 tion of tobacco U'ater, mixed with the third of lie 

 of wood aslies, as much grease as this lie will dis 

 solve, — a small quantity of tar, and about an eighth 

 of the wholr> mass of the spirits of turpentine. — 

 This ointment is to he rubbed on the part aft'eoted, 

 and for some little distance round it, at three dif- 

 ferent times, with an interval of three days after 

 each washin?. With timelv precautions this "ill 

 ahv.nvs hp found suflic-ient." — Deat>e''s .Yew En^- 

 Irnir/ Fnrmer. 



Sir Joseph B.inks, in a communication to th 



ticks, a strong d.cocnon ol tobacco is probably as , .Sori.ry for the Kncourairemont of Arts, direct,, for 

 IZn '"ff-p'' ' ."T' '"' ' J'.'-'^-^"''""'- Lambs Ithi.s disorder nure quicksilver, one pound-Venice 

 si?eld .,r VT' rr ''^^'''' ^'r^^^^'^ turpemine and c6mmon oil of turpentine, half a 

 s eared as the tn-ks which ar. driven from the 'pound each-and of hoes' lard four pounds, to be 



^hiretre'he 1 T "'""'^r''' '■""'''• ''"'"' trifurated in a mortar, till the mercury be com- 

 theretore, he advisable to annlv p ther the ninr i ^ i ■ .,•,,. ,• 



^ ,1, , , <•" -ii'iuy eiiner ine omt- , plptply incorror.-ited with the incrredienf«. 



ment or the tobacco uecoct oil fo the lambs as well Tt.„ „„n ,1 c ■ .. • . In, 

 as their elders An.l in -,11 . . i T """ method of using this ointment is as follows. 



nH,.»tmn „po=, tr.,..A ''*'■'. 6 I lit v Our up- Tho head of the sheop must first be rubhed—nfter 



Sh as oossble ?nrT r ""''■"'' '''" ''^ "'''^'^ '^ ''"'"-' '" to be drawn with the finger, 

 fiquallj as possible, instead of wqtung or smear-; from the region between the ears, along Uie hack 



ON THE CULTURE OF SILK 

 Continued from page 347. 

 In winding off the silk you must be atteut 

 keep the thread wet, to make it slip alou( 

 more easily towards the reel. Anrl whei 

 vi'heel has remained any time idle, you must 

 wet all the thread betwixt the basin and 

 pieces of iron, which makes the thread ru 

 more easily. 



Be attentive also from time to time to weti 

 water the cord, and the little wooden wheel, t 

 moves the v.^ooden regulator, in order to tiia; 

 act properly. If this is neglected, the coi 

 being dry, will not turn the regulator as it fl 

 by which means the silk will be placed unecj 

 upon the reel, which may have this farther A 

 vantage, to cause the silk threads upon the n 

 cling and stick to each oilier, by having 

 brought into contact before the first threads 

 liLd time to dry. For that wooden regula 

 c;i'culated to place the threads in such a ma 

 upon the wheel, as to make them touch one 

 other only obliquely, and in as faw places a; 

 sible at first, that the silk as it comes from thi 

 coons may have the time requisite to dry, 

 it comes to be fully in contact with that 

 follows. When the silk threads cling togethe, 

 being too soon brought in contact, the sii 

 rendered good for nothing. 



The cocoons called s.^tiny, from their rej 

 blance to satin, require that the wa er shouli 

 moderately hot in the basin. The same degn 

 heat that is necessary for the fine cocoons, w 

 entirely spoil the others by making the silk 

 off thick, and what they call bournj. You 

 out the degree of heat necessary for these 

 examining with care in what manner the 

 comes off from the first ■juantity of cocoons 

 put into the basin ; and if you find it comes 

 thick, you must add cold water by degrees, 

 you find the just proportion for them. They i 

 not be allowed to remain long in tlie hot wi 

 and there should only he a few of these coC( 

 put into the water at a time. If these cire 

 stances are not attended to, the silk coniei 

 thick, as already mentioi pd, which, in wine 

 makes the thread break at every moment, and 

 ouly greativ diminishes the q^mntity of your 

 upon the reel, but also considerably hurts 

 quality, by rendering it coarser. 



When once the reel h is the quantity of 

 upon ityou judge to he sutfi.-:ient, thi^ produc 

 about three pound.s of cocoons, for e.vample. 

 take it off, and put [inolhe- reel iu its place, 

 the work may not be interrupted. The .silk Ol 

 to remain for six or eight hours, or even mor 



