422 APPENDIX. 



LETTER FROM MESSRS. PERKINS AND BROWN, OF AKRON, SUM- 

 MIT COUNTY, OHIO. 



Dear Sir, — Your favor was received, and our reply will be as 

 brief as possible, and our remarks practical, so far as we are able 

 to make them. 



We have about 1300 sheep, Saxon, and mixed-blooded, of 

 Saxon and INIerino. We have never taken more than 59 lbs. of 

 wool from 20 head of our tine sheep ; but our flock is principally 

 ewes and lambs. We are so well aware of the great difference in 

 th^ manner of fitting wool for market, that we deem the reports of 

 wool-growers in this particular as of very little value. We sup- 

 pose that kind of sheep (to the wool-grower) which not only pays 

 the most cash per head, but pay most per acre for the land they 

 occupy, to be the best breed. These remarks we do not intend for 

 those who can sell fat sheep and lambs to good account. 



We take this opportunity to propose to those who keep fine 

 sheep, that, in order to detennine where the best fine sheep may 

 be found, each man concerned furnish yearly a certain number 

 of fleeces — say not less than five bucks, 20 lambs, and 25 ewes — 

 to be cleansed by some manufactm-er in the best manner, and the 

 cash value of each parcel to be detennined by a committee of 

 three of the best manufacturers in the United States ; and fur- 

 ther, that each individual deposit with his wool from one to live 

 dollars towards the expense of cleansing, and publishing a full 

 statement, and the balance to be paid as a premium to him who 

 shall furnish 50 fleeces worth most in cash when cleansed ; or, 

 in other words, to him who shall furnish the greatest weight of 

 the most valuable pure wool per head from each of the kinds of 

 sheep mentioned. We would hke to go into something of that 

 kind the present season. Who will join us ? 



Our pure-blooded Saxons were from the flocks of Samuel Wliit- 

 man, of West Hartford, Conn. ; Col. Jenison, of Walpole, New 

 Hampshire; and of Frederick Brandt, of Kilgore, Carroll county, 

 Ohio, who brought over his sheep in company with the late H. 

 D. Grove's, ofHoosic, New York. Our mixed-blooded sheep 

 were selected from some of the best flocks in the counties of 

 Washington and Beaver, in Pennsylvania, and from the counties 

 of Brooke and Ohio in Virginia, and from Columbiana and Stark 

 counties in this State. 



We keep more or less in a flock in summer and winter, accord- 

 ing to circumstances. We think the health of flocks depends, in 

 summer, more upon frequent change of pasture, than the number 

 of the flock ; but we have no doubt that the smaller the flock at 

 any season the better. We generally salt twice a week with 

 about three quarts to 100. We salt our hay when it is gathered. 

 What kind of pasture is best for sheep, we cannot well deter- 

 mine ; with us they appear to be most fond of timothy or herds 



