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274 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Dkc. 



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salt is decomposed, its soda is converted into a car- 

 bonatp, and the lime rnto a chloride. If this soda 

 can act as a substitute of potash in the organization 

 of cultivated plants, the fact is of vast economical 

 importance in husbandry. To our mind, nothing is 

 plainer tlian the necessity of an experimental farm, 

 to develop new truths in practical and scioutilic ag- 

 riculture. 



THE PSODUCTION OF MtJTTON.-HERDWICK SHEEP. 



We have noticed with much satisfaction the increased 

 consumption of good mutton in several cities, ivithin 

 the last few years. In no market is the proportion 

 of this kind of meat larger, than in that of Wash- 

 ington. The flesh of mountain sheep, reared in 

 Virginia, is superior, perhaps, to any other in the 

 United States. It partakes laro^ely of the flavor and 

 liberal development of muscle (lean meat,) peculiar 

 to venison. Like southern swine, these sheep travel 

 a great deal, and acquire, as do deer and race horses, 

 uncommonly fine muscles, with small weight of fat 

 and bone. Indeed, tlie advantage of rearing sheep, 

 as compared with neat cattle, for food, is very con- 

 siderable in the saving of bone, which is not valuable 

 in meat, but decidedly so in manure. The Duke of 

 Bedford slaughtered four sheep, keeping an accurate 

 account of the diflbient parts of each animal, with a 

 view to decide their relative proportions and value, 

 witli l!ie following results : 



Southdown. Leicester. AVorcester. Wiltsture. 

 lbs. oz lbs oz. lbs. oz. lbs oz. 



Weight of each Bhccp, 155 IM 161 175 



Skin 17 8 a) 23 23 



Knt. (UUmv,) 13 2 11 S 12 8 13 8 



Head and Plucli,. . .. 10 8 9 U 12 14 



Entrails 13 4 112 15 17 10 



Blood 5 14 00 80 82 



lour quartcr.i 92 6 92 S9 97 



\Va.-t.- iQ urhic and 



evaporation 2 6 2 18 112 



Bou.'.s. clwui, :,->i 5 9 6 9 8 



It will bo seen that the weight of the DOnes is 

 small, when compared with that of the anirnal, in the 

 four breeds of English sh'eep. The skin, including 

 the wool on it, is worth' far more per pound than 

 meat ; while m estimating the weight of the entrails, 

 their contents should not be taken into the account 

 as organized matter formed at the same expense as 

 ilesli. Tlio fat or tallow is also valuable above the 

 price of meat. 



We have long regarded tlie annual importation of 

 uiillious of pounds of wool into this country, as dis- 

 creditable to our agricultural enterprise, when con- 

 sidered in connection with our unlimited facilities for 

 producing the article in all its grades. An increased 

 demand fur mutton in our rapidly growing cities and 

 villages, must operate favorably on the wool-growing 

 interests. 



Some of our readers may wish to know what breed 

 of sheep now extant, approaches nearest venison in 

 flesh, and conseciuently are most valuable for the 

 butcher. They are known in Cumberland, England, 

 as the "Iferdwick" Breed. A writer in a late num- 

 ber of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, 

 says that the origin of this family of sheep, is involved 

 in some obscurity ; but the traditional liistory is as 

 follows : "Early in the last century, a ship was 

 stranded on the coast of Cumberland, wliich had on 

 board some sheep stated to have come from Scotland. 

 They were got on shore, driven up the country and 

 imrchased by farmers living at Wasdale Head. — 

 They were small, active, polled, and their faces and 



legs were speckled. They wer^^ at once turned upon 

 the neighboring hills : they had not been there long 

 before they evinced a peculiar sagacity- in foreseeing 

 the approach of a snow storm, as it was invariably 

 seen that a little before its coming, they ehtstcred 

 iogcthi'r OIL llie most ejposcd side of tlie motintuin, 

 where the riolencc of the wind vsuiilly prevcaled tlie 

 snow from lodging," TTiis instinct caused them to 

 be regarded with a degree of interest amounting to 

 superstition ; and the race is now fast displacing the 

 old black-faced sheep in all that part of the island. 



Interesting as is the story of the Hcrdwicks, 

 (some regarding them as natives of the mountains of 

 Wales,) we have not space to trace their ftiotory. 

 At the West Cumberland Fell Dale Association 

 Sheep Sliow, for the year 1848, there were ninety-four 

 competitors for prizes exclusively devoted to this 

 description of sheep, alt of whom have their floelts 

 within a very limited extent of country. Their woof 

 is in great request with the Keswick manufacturers, 

 and they are wisely distributinsr liberal premiums foi 

 the best white-fleeced sheep of the genuine Herd- 

 wick Breed. A singular anatomical peculiarity i3 

 found in many of these sheep, viz., that of having a 

 rib more than any other breed, fourteen instead of 

 tUrteev. The wethers are sent to market directly 

 from their mountain pastures ; feeding them on. tur- 

 nips, clover, and other artificial food, impairs the 

 wild or venison quality of their flesh. When in good 

 condition, they weigh from ten to twelve pounds per 

 quarter. 



Railroads have become so numerous in the United 

 States, that little inconvenience exists in sending fat 

 sheep from the best grazing districts to any of the 

 large cities : and we cannot but believe that the im- 

 portation of some of the Mountain Sheep above 

 noticed, so valuable for their flesh and shawl-making 

 fleeces, would be at once a profitable and highly use- 

 ful operation. In the mountainous districts of Penn- 

 sylvania, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Geor- 

 gia, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky, they would find 

 a congenial climate and range. No hay is given 

 to Herdwicks during the winter ; they .'upport 

 themselves as well as wild deer, in deei^est snow, by 

 scratching down to the herbage, and if any part is 

 blown bare, tlioy are sure to discover it. Tlie lambs 

 are dropped in the cold regions where these flocka 

 subsist, not before the 1 2lh of May, and they are well 

 covered with wool when dropped. To increase the 

 size of the breed, ewes are not allowe-1 to run with 

 rams till two and a half or three and a lialf years old. 

 They are good nurses, and difler from black-faced 

 sheep in being less inclined to ramble about, and 

 remarkably attaclied to any spot on the sides of the 

 mountains in which the sheplierd has domesticated 

 them. 



There are many millions of acres of un-enclo.'ied 

 grazing land, in this extended republic, that might 

 be turned to a most useful purpose in producing both 

 wool and mutton. The hams of Herdwicks, cured 

 like venison, are much sought in London market. 

 If provision dealers were to turn their attention to 

 packing in salt and barrels choice mutton, and thereby 

 create a market for fat sheep, as well as hogs and 

 cattle, no reasonable doubt can well exist that the 

 larmers of the country would meet the same vvith 

 a liberil supply. That salted mutton is not inferior 

 to pork or beef, when a goo<l article is properly cured, 

 thousands of our readers can bear witness. Two 

 pounds of mutton can be made for about the cost of 



