366 



THE GEKESEE FARMEE. 



shoulder-point, iadicates a well tallowed animal ; 

 as also does the filling-up between the brisket and 

 inside of the fore-legs, as well as a full, projecting, 

 well-covered brisket in front. When the flesh 

 comes down heavy upon the thighs, making a sort 

 of double thigh, somewhat like the shape at d and 

 e, fig. 2, it is called lyary^ and indicates a tendency 

 of the flesh to grow on the lower instead of the 

 upper part of the body. These are all the points 

 that require touching when the hand is used; and 

 in a high-conditioned ox, they may be gone over 



very rapidly. 



-^»-» ^ 



SHEEP m CALIFORNIA. 



of two thousand two hundred and forty dollars. 

 He has sold eighteen hundred lbs. of wool at 

 twenty cents — three hundred and sixty dollars — 

 and has four hundred and sixty lambs, worth five 

 dollars each, as they are nearly half-blood merino, 

 which is two thousand two hundred dollars : which, 

 with fleeces sold, makes the sum of two thonsand 

 five hundred and sixty dollars, as the product of a 

 six months investment of two thousand two hun- 

 dred and forty dollars. — California Culturist. 



SALT FOR WORKING CATTLE-AGAIN. 



We have met with capitalists who have invested 

 largely in sheep, some of them buying their five, 

 ten, or twenty thousand head at the commence- 

 ment, thinking they could make it pay, in accord- 

 ance with the extraordinary increase known to 

 attend this valuable animal in California. Most of 

 these persons, thus purcliasing largely, have failed 

 to meet their anticipations, and in no long time, 

 have been found selling ofl:* their large flocks in 

 small parcels, as they could best find purchasers. 

 This exactly demonstrates what has long been an 

 admitted principle of business, that if you would 

 achieve eminent success, it must have its commence- 

 ment from small beginning; because, in the small 

 l>usiness of an enterprise, one becomes thoroughly 

 acquainted with all those minute details which qual- 

 ify for the successful management of those of 

 increasing dimensions. 



In no department of industrial life does this rule 

 apply with greater force than in the business of 

 sheep raising. Where the capitalist begins with 

 his five thousand, or more, as may be, he is not 

 likely to have made suitable arrangements for their 

 proper care. The idea is entirely too prevalent, 

 that sheep need no feeding in winter, except what 

 they can glean from the barren fields ; then again, 

 there will not be adequate shelter from the storms ; 

 or perhaps they are crowded into sufibcating pens, 

 so that they smother, or are infected from contact 

 with diseased animals, which would have been 

 removed, had they been in subdivided lots, so as to 

 have been within frequent observation. We are 

 satisfied that, in order to make wool-growing a 

 highly remunerative business to California, it must 

 fall into the hands of a great number of small 

 proprietors; or where it is under extensive owner- 

 ship, it must be farmed out to persons of sufiicient 

 intelligence to learn the habits of this tender ani- 

 mal. Doubtless, if large sheep owners were to 

 subdivide their flocks into not more than one thou- 

 sand in each, and give them in charge of suitable 

 persons on shares, it would be better for the capi- 

 talist, than to have them kept in large droves under 

 stupid and careless hirelings. 



As an instance of individual success from a small 

 beginning, we trust we shall be pardoned for mak- 

 ing public a statement given us by our old friend 

 B. F. Ryndeks, formerly a merchant at San Anto- 

 nio, Alameda county, now a resident of Livermore 

 I valley. In December last, Mr. Rynders bought 

 ' three hundred and forty American ewes, with a 

 \ dight cross of French merino, and four half-blood 

 ' -merino bucks. The ewes cost six dollars each, and 

 ithe bucks fifty each, making and outlay, for stock, 



Eds. Genesee Faemee:— "0. W. T.," of Elm 

 Tree Farm, Maine, in the Genesee Farmer^ for Oct., 

 page 809, answers inquiries about " Salt for Work- 

 ing Oxen," and hopes others will do the same. Deem- 

 ing the conclusions erroneous, to which friend '' 0. 

 W. T." arrives, from his and Boussingault's ex- 

 periments, I accept his invitation to answer also. 



It has never, to my knowledge, been claimed by 

 any scientific experimenter that the use of salt in 

 anj' way (unless applied t» the land,) increases the 

 flesh or fat of animals ; on the contrary, the most 

 careful experiments of man go to show that it di- 

 minishes rather than increases the amount of fat, 

 and acting on this theory, its liberal use is prescrib- 

 ed for obesity ; but it is not on this account recom- 

 mended to the lean to abstain from it. Its moder- 

 ate use is known (begging the pardon of the vege- 

 tarians,) to be conducive to health ; and if, as our 

 Maine friend says, there is salt enough in the con- 

 stituents of the food of cattle, is there not full as 

 much in man's food, aside from what he put in 

 himself. And still no man without a hobby, has 

 ever discovered that man should not salt his pota- 

 toes if it improves the relish. All our domestic 

 animals, as well as all the wild ruminates, have a re- 

 lish for salt, and it seems to be required by them 

 rather as a medicine than a condinient, or as food; 

 for none seem to desire it daily throughout the 

 year ; and those who do not live near it make long 

 pilgrimages to obtain it, and when the appetite is 

 satiated, they return to their old haunts. 



I do not believe that the indulgence of a natural 

 appetite ever leads man or beast into error ; still, 

 if that natural appetite is not gratified, disorder, or 

 weakness of the digestive organs may ensue in con- 

 sequence, which, if followed by full indulgence, may 

 produce bad effects. From no otiier reason than 

 this, I venture to say, was any animal ever injured 

 by any quantity of salt he chose to eat. 



All brutes have habits peculiar to their species, 

 and though many of them seem unaccountable, 

 still I think none are without their use. The hen 

 wallows in the dirt, the horse r®lls in the ploughed 

 ground, and the ox paws the dirt, and rubs his neck 

 against the bank of earth, all for one purpose, to 

 prevent or destroy the vermin, with which they 

 are liable to be infested, and if left free to act for 

 themselves they never suffer from vermin while 

 the ground is bare, unless they become too weak to 

 help themselves. It is very interesting to observe 

 with what precision the cow, with her round sole, 

 will throw the dirt upon her back; the horse will 

 eat earth ; the hog ashes and charcoal ; the bird 

 lime and pebbles ; and all to supply some want of 

 the body. Salt is destructive to internal vermin, 

 to which aU animals are more or less liable, and it 



