182 



FARMERS' REGISTER— CULTURE OF THE GRAPE— SHEEP. 



Resolved, That each person to whom a premium 

 may be awarded, shall furnish the President (if 

 required) a written statement detailing:; the parti- 

 cular mode adopted in the culture, rearing, manu- 

 facturing, (or otherwise as the case may be,) of 

 the subject to which a premium has been awarded. 



.Resolved, That the President solicit Dr. Joseph 

 W. Farnum, Professor of Chemistry in Washing- 

 ton College, to deliver to the quarterly meeting of 

 this board a lecture on chemisti-y as connected with 

 agriculture. 



"Resolved, That this board adjourn to the third 

 Wednesday in September next. 



ROBT. R. BARTON, President. 



JOHN p. CARUTHERS, Rec. Sec'ry. 



OBSERVATION ON THE PROFIT ATTENDING 

 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



From the Southern AnMcu'.tnrist. 

 Columbia, November 3, 1832. 



Dear Sir, — I have been a much longer time 

 than I thought possible, without either writing to 

 you personally, or communicating to you any thing 

 for the Southern jJgriculturist. I am not, however, 

 Avithout some excuses lor this apparent neglect, 

 and among them, this, that I cannot tind any sub- 

 ject to write upon that is likely to be interesting 

 to your readers, and that I cannot write unless the 

 " spirit moves me." 



As to the culture of the vine and the making of 

 wine, these subjects have been amply discussed in 

 the former numbers of your most useful periodi- 

 cal. It does not appear, to be a subject in which 

 many in this state seem to take an interest, and / 

 have so long been preaching to an indifferent con- 

 gregation, that I fear doing more harm than good 

 to the good cause by saying any more about it, yet 

 some of my predictions on this subject are beginning 

 to be realized ; for a gentleman about sixteen miles 

 from this, (Mr. Abraham Geiger) has inade this 

 year about six thousand five hundred gallons of 

 wine. My vineyard not being any thing as ex- 

 tensive as his, I made only nine hundred gallons. 

 This, however, is very well from our sand hills, 

 which only produce, in good years, and with care- 

 ful culture, about five bushels of corn per acre. — 

 The capability of this kind of land to produce good 

 wine, and that in abundance, is proved beyond the 

 reach of cavil, and, in spite of the sneers of such 

 persons as can find nothing good that does not come 

 from a great distance, and does not cost a great 

 deal of money. Let the prices of our wmes, how- 

 ever, be reduced to ever so low a rate, even that 

 of vinegar, yet the culture and the production of it 

 in lands that cost from twelve and a half cents to 

 one dollar per acre, and may produce, and does 

 sometimes produce, as much as one thousand gal- 

 lons per acre, must be an object of importance to 

 this state, whose population is fast leaving it, and 

 has not many other means of inducing it to re- 

 main. Our policy, it seems to me, most certainly 

 is, not merely to do our utmost endeavors to re- 

 tain our thin population within our limits ; but 

 also to encourage the settling of foreigners among 

 us. What will become of us at last is more than 

 I can or am willing to predict, if we continue to 

 disregard our natural advantages, when the policy 

 of our neighbors, and the politics of too many 

 amongst ourselves, have a direct tendency to re- 

 duce, and does reduce us every day lower and 

 lower. You will, probably, sir, blame me for be- 



ing thus querulous. I admit that I am rather so ; 

 but you must also admit, as I do, that I am an old 

 man. I wonder if Cassandra would not have be- 

 come somewhat querulous had she grown to bean 

 old woman .-* 



We have, however, five or six vineyards in a 

 good state of progressiveness in this vicinity, some 

 of them pretty extensive for beginnings, and I 

 hope their future success and example will be of 

 due avail to the patriotic cultivators of them and 

 to the counti-y ; for it is never too late to do good, 

 at least i hope so. 



I am, very respectfully, dear sir, your obedient 

 servant, n. herbemont. 



Slicep. 



From the Lancaster E.xamhier. 



Of all domestic animals, the rearing of sheep is 

 to the husbandman the source of most pleasure 

 and profit. Their management then, and a means 

 of protection for them, w ill deserve from us a pass- 

 ing notice. 



It may be said that of all kinds of stock sheep 

 require the least attention and expense from the 

 farmer. The sheep is the only animal subjected 

 to the control of man, which Avill voluntarily en- 

 dure abstinence from water, requiring it only in 

 the event of being housed. Sheep, when confined 

 in an enclosure, would require no attention, had 

 the farmers any protection or security for them, 

 against attacks from their dread enemy the dog — 

 in whose presence they uniformly discover an in- 

 stinctive though justly excited panic. 



Permit us to inquire into the advantages of 

 sheep and stock, before we indulge in remarks on 

 their management. A principle in farming which 

 should be more generally reduced to practice is, 

 that previous to laying in stock, the farmer should 

 calculate what species, for a certain amount of mo- 

 ney, will realize the largest net profit, — making 

 due allowance for a fluctuating market. Suppose 

 a farmer has sixty dollars to invest in stock, which 

 in the month of July or August, will buy him 

 forty good ewes. If they be managed according 

 to our subjoined directions, and kept one year, we 

 think the annexed statement, if not exactly, will 

 be very nearly answered. 

 40 good sheep will have 150 lbs. wool, at 40 



cents, - - - - $60 00 



40 lambs fat in August, worth S2, - 80 00 

 40 ewes, when fat, will advance in price 50 



cents, - - - - 20 00 



Clear gain, - - - - 8160 00 

 A careful and judicious experiment will prove 

 the above statement to be perfectly practicable. — 

 We have known the amount of wool from the same 

 number exceeded both in price and in quantity. — 

 We have known the number of lambs increased 

 fifty per cent. Some may ask the question, how 

 realize even the statement, save the increase? Be- 

 fore the reader has marvelled at our statement, we 

 submit the management and means. 1st. By ex- 

 treme caution in the selection and purchase ; 

 choosing such only as have a good vigorous coat 

 of wool ; avoiding age, which should not exceed 

 four years — the mouth being the best index to the 

 age. 2d. By paying attention that the male be ad- 

 mitted and kept with them, from the middle of 

 November, and a due regard to the maxim, " ^ 

 sheep fat will never fatten again." 3d. By attend- 



