FARMS. 109 



manured by feeding sheep in them during winter, preparatory 

 to planting in the spring. 



The sheep kept in our county are, for tlie most part, native, 

 occasionally mixed with South Downs and other English breeds. 

 However it may be as to the cattle of England suiting American 

 climate and soil, there can be little doubt that English sheep 

 are just what wq want. "We are situated near a market, and, 

 therefore, need mutton sheep rather than those that produce 

 superior wool. In improving their sheep the English seem to 

 have had mutton almost exclusively in view, and they have 

 reached so high a degree of excellence in this respect, that it 

 would seem impossible to improve upon what they have accom- 

 plished. The great obstacle in the way of introducing these 

 sheep generally into our county is the expense, which is greater 

 than many of our farmers can bear ; and those who can afford 

 to buy, have not faith enough in the superiority of the sheep, 

 before seeing them, to render them anxious to purchase. 

 Among those who have taken much pains to possess themselves 

 of good sheep, the most successful are Hon. AlbertFearing, Mr. 

 Charles G. Davis, and Mr. Austin J. Roberts. Mr. Fearing has 

 a few very fine sheep, which he imported directly from England. 

 Mr. Davis's sheep are the Oxford Downs, purchased of Mr. 

 Fay, of Lynn. The latter gentleman sold his lambs this 

 summer for ten dollars, and buck lambs for twelve dollars to 

 breeders, and the butchers paid him eight dollars for his ewes 

 in the pasture, in June, after the fleece was off. Their fleece 

 averages six to seven pounds. To get good sheep it is, perhaps, 

 necessary that the buck only' should be of pure blood. When 

 we begin to take the interest in sheep-husbandry that the 

 English do, the finest bucks will possess a great value, and 

 their services will be sought after and liberally paid for. It is 

 to be hoped the County Society will do all that is possible to 

 advance the interests of sheep-husbandry by offering liberal 

 premiums for the best sheep ; and I have sometimes thought 

 the society might even go so far as to purchase a few bucks of 

 the purest blood, and of various breeds, and let out their 

 services to the highest bidder. If the experiment should 

 succeed in the case of sheep, the society might extend its 

 operations to other stock ; and, in this way, it would be in the 



