1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



73 



ICELAND SHEEP. < Fig. 18.) 



Iceland Sheep. 



We ^py the above illustration, and following 

 description of Iceland Sheep, from MorrelVs 

 American Shepherd — a valuable work, which 

 we have frequently commended to our readers : 



"The sheep of Iceland are of two kinds: the 

 (first, termed the native breed, is small, in color 

 from dun to almost black ; the second is larger, 

 the fleece white and supposed to have originated 

 from more southern regions. The fleece of 

 fhese breeds consists of hair externally, with a 

 thick, close layer of wool within, impervious to 

 cold and wet ; it is worthless for manufacturing, 

 and is used for horse collars, and more or less is 

 e.xported and appropriated to this purpose. 



The principal peculiarity about the native 

 sheep is the numper of their horns, many indi- 

 viduals having four and five, and instances have 

 been known of eight. These hardy animals 

 propagate without the care of man, and seek 

 refuge from storms among the caverns of the 

 •coast during the winter seaaon." 



Information Wanted. 



Messrs. Editors : — By the request of a num- 

 ber of your subscribers, I take the liberty to 

 beg a small space in the Farmer for the follow- 

 ing inquiry — hoping and believing that some one 

 among your thousands of subscribers will not 

 delay to furnish ihe desired information. 



Whereas our country abounds in elegant and 

 pleasant sites for erecting dwelling houses, many 

 of which are unoccupied, neglected or abandoned 

 on account of the unoertaintj of ever obtaining 



a supply of water by digging, drilling or boring 

 — and many, after having spent much time, 

 money and hard labor, have obtained but a mis- 

 erable, scanty, precarious supply, and some none 

 at all : and whereas, we hear from Ohio and 

 other parts of the country of their dispensing 

 with well water entirely, and using cistern wa- 

 ter for drink and all culinary purposes, after it 

 has been filtered ; how is this done ? is the ques- 

 tion we want answered. How many and how 

 large cisterns would be necessary for one family ? 

 Through what substances must the water perco- 

 late to become pure and soft ? In short, we 

 want to know the whole process and all about it, 

 (if it will infring on no ones patent right,) — 

 which knowledge we hope to obtain in the April 

 number of the Farmer, if consistent. 



This subject may have been illustrated in a 

 former nnmber of the Farmer, but if so it has 

 escaped our notice. If we can dispense with 

 digging wells, as well as with building large 

 heavy chimnies, it may prove a great saving. 

 Simon Pierson. 



Le Roy, Gen. Co., Feb. 1, 1848. 



We hope some correspondent will furnish the 

 information desired, in time for our next number. 



The Noblest Product. — A stranger passing 

 through one of the mountain towns of New Eng- 

 land, inquired, "What can you raise here V — 

 The answer was, ''Our land is rough and poor; 

 we can raise but little produce — and so we build 

 school houses and churches, and raise men.'''' 



Egypt. — By the late census this ancient di- 

 vision of the world is found to contain about five 

 millions of inhabitants. 



