APPENDIX. 419 



grass, say from the middle of July to the first of August. There 

 are several important advantages to your flock, by weaning lambs 

 at those ages. At the time mentioned, the grass of the pastures 

 begins to be too wiry and tough for the lambs to thrive upon it, 

 and the ewes fail in flesh on the same account. Both, therefore, 

 will do better to be separated. 



I might yet speak of many things connected with the manage- 

 ment of sheep, such as the necessity of water for them in winter, 

 keeping them free from ticks, shelters, bams, racks, &c. All these 

 things I attend to. And I would just observe, that while I have 

 been penning this article, we have had here an unusually severe 

 snow-storm, which has continued some forty-eight h(jurs ; and I 

 can assure you, sir, next to the health and comfort of my family, 

 has been the pleasure and satisfaction of having every animal on 

 my premises comfortably housed and sheltered from the howling 

 storm of snow and wind that has raged without and around us. 

 Wiih one exception, and this was a Tom turkey, that would, in 

 spite of me, keep himself perched high up into the top of an apple 

 tree. I was somewhat vexed at the foolish bird, but let him have 

 his own way. Why, sir, motives of mercy and humanity, as well 

 as interest, ought to influence every man that has a beast or bird, 

 to give them comfortable protection, and food sufficient to supply 

 their natures. 



I regret that my communication is not more acceptable in mat- 

 ter as well as manner ; such as it is, however, it is at your dis- 



LETTER FROM TALBOTT HAMMOND, OF BROOKE COUNTY, VA. 



Dear Sir, — Your letter was duly received, and you have my 

 best wishes for the success of your worthy undertaking. 



The number of my flock at present exceeds one thousand. My 

 sheep are principally of the Spanish Merino blood. My fii'st ad- 

 venture was in the fall of 1822, when I purchased seven ewes and 

 a buck of my brother, Charles Hammond, of Belmont county, 

 Ohio. His flock was bred directly from the flocks of Messrs. 

 Wells and Dickinson, of Steubenville. The buck that I obtained 

 of my brother was an imported one, for which he paid Mr. 

 Dickinson eighty dollars ; he was quite old at the time I procured 

 him. I have since then crossed my sheep with Saxony bucks 

 from Dutchess county, New York, but the result was not very 

 favorable ; therefore, on the whole, I preferred the Merino. 



The average weight of my clips is from 2| to 3 lbs. per head. 

 Our foddering season in this country is not less than four months, 

 and sometimes longer. I shelter all my sheep in the winter 

 season. I have two shed bams, one of which will accommodate 

 500, the other 300, and for the balance of the flock we make tem- 



