1880] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



71 



distinct flocks, the present Merino has been 

 prodiici'd, and is now so unlike oilier Moriuos 

 as to take rank as a disiinct breed with the 

 prefix ••American." 



The sheep industry in the United States is 

 vast and important, and in the consideration 

 of which there are two partially distinct, and 

 at the same time, interlockiuj; interests. 

 Sheep were in early times grown almost solely 

 for their wool, and with the annual shearing 

 came the year's income; Init in later times, 

 and never so |)n)minently as now, the (^ucass 

 is looked upon as an ini|iortant item in sheep 

 iinsbaudry. Mutton as a ehea[) and aeceplable 

 meat has of la(e grown in popularity, and 

 mutton now stands as one of the two im- 

 portant factors in the successful raising of 

 sheep. In view of the fact that the Me.ino is 

 essentially a wool-producing breed, with a 

 fleece of the finest and best (piality, it is evi- 

 dent tlml tlie pure-blood Merino, though it 

 may sujiply our manuliictories with the mate- 

 rial for liie finest of woollen goods, on the 

 Other hand it cannot satisfy tlu' butcher. 

 The sheep having to both feed and clothe its 

 keeper, it is an important ipiestion: What is 

 the best bived of sheep to do this V Evident- 

 ly not the pure-blooded Merino. Though the 

 growing of imre-hlooded Merinos lias its place, 

 and an important one, and the demand for 

 their wool indicates the prosjierity of manu- 

 facture of the finest goods, it is in the cro.ss- 

 iug of them with otlier breeds in which the 

 tlesh-produeing (pialities lu-edomiuate, that a 

 sheep best for lioth meat and wool is produced. 

 A crossbreed is the one that in most localities 

 is to pay. The Merino is slow of growth 

 and small of carcass when mature ; but when 

 crossed with a rapid grower, one that matures 

 early, is a high feeder, and lays on flesh rapid- 

 ly, but not reniarkaljle for its wool either in 

 quantity or <piality, a sheep is obt^xined that 

 pays for itself in its wool of prime (piality, 

 and furnishes a good quantity of mutton as a 

 profit. Ofsu(th character are the crosses of 

 the Merino with tlie Cotswold and the South- 

 down. But with the great mass of American 

 sheep on the western phiins, wool is the im- 

 portant product, and here the cross must be 

 with the Mer'no upon the "Native"— a race 

 of sheep which has grown out of a variety of 

 early importations to this country — an inter- 

 crossing of various breeds in which many of 

 the good points have been lost. In this field 

 the Merino lias a great work to do to raise tne 

 yield of wool 1, '2, or more pounds per head, 

 and give it a higher value. The opportunity 

 for the increase of our sheep interest is almost 

 without limit, so far as favorable conditions 

 of vast plains and healthful climate is con- 

 cerned, and witli oiu^ present large importa- 

 tions of woolen goods it is certain that no 

 raw wood would lack for a market. There 

 are many places where sheep may go and 

 thrive that cattle and other live-stock dare 

 not tread; and it should be the ambition of 

 sheei)-raisers to fill all these jilaces with sheep 

 adapted to these conditions, in the pmduction 

 of which the imre-blood Merino must find its 

 full sliare of work. The revival in the sheep 

 interest that is now in progress is both healthy 

 and permanent. The surplus of woolen 

 goods is exhausted, and the growing crop is 

 in demand. The shipping of whoW car loads 

 of Merino rams to the flocks of the great 

 West, with calls for more than the East can 

 supply, is not in the nature ot a "boom," but 

 founded upon the demands of the time and 

 the merits of the breed. — Amcriran jUp-icuI- 

 turist. 



THE ORIGIN OF THE POTATO. 

 The famine prevalent in Ireland is largely 

 owing now, as in the past, to the failure of 

 the potato cro]!. on whit'li that unhaiiiiy land 

 had so uniformly <U'pended for food. It is 

 singular that our common iiotato should be 

 called Irish, because the bulk of the lower 

 order of the Irish are accustomed at home to 

 use it as the chief article of diet. While it is 

 hard to decide where the potato is really indi- 

 genous, and where it has spread since its cul- 

 tivation by man, it is a native of mountainous 



districts of tropical and subtropical America, 

 proljjibly from Chili to Mexico. It has been 

 asserted that the first vegetable of the kind 

 known to civilization was discovered in Pata- 

 gonia; but the assertion has never been cor- 

 roborated. Humboldt doubted if it had ever 

 been found truly wild; but later travelers of 

 high scientific reputation are satisfied on this 

 point. The wild plant, except that the tubers 

 are smaller, dilTers very little from tlie culti- 

 vated plant. The potato has been raised on 

 this continent, and its tubers eaten from 

 times long jirecediiig the discovery of the 

 western world. It seems to have been first 

 taken to Europe in the bi^ginning of the six- 

 teenth century, by the Spaniards, from the 

 vicinity of (iuito. It extended from Spain to 

 the Netherlands, France and Italy, but only 

 as a curiosity, being confined to a few gar- 

 dens. It long bore the same name as the bat- 

 ata, or sweet potato, which is the tuber meant 

 by most Old World writers down to the mid- 

 dle of the seventeenth century. It appears to 

 have I)een carried to Ireland from Virginia 

 (ISotJ) by Hawkins, a slave-trader, and to 

 England 20 years lalier by Sir Francis Drake, 

 without attracting much attention, until it; 

 was a third time exported from this country 

 by the expedition sent out by Sir Walter Ra- 

 leigh. Still, a long time passed before the po- 

 tato b(\gan to be widely cultivated. It might 

 be used to advantage, it was thought, for 

 feeding cattle and svvlneand very poor people, 

 and was finally raised with a view to prevent 

 famines, especially in Ireland, where It was 

 cultivated more extensively than in any other 

 part of Europe. Not before the end of the 

 eighteenth century was it generally introduced 

 into France and Germany. Darwin noted 

 the potato in the humid forests of the Clionos 

 Arcliiiielago and among the Central Chilian 

 Mountains, where the rain does not fall some- 

 times for six consecntive months. It is clo.sely 

 related to the mandrake and deadly night- 

 shade, and from its stems and leaves a potent 

 narcotic may be extracted. The eating of po- 

 tatoes was for a while forbidden In Bur- 

 gundy, as they were thought to be poisonous, 

 and the common people of England long cher- 

 ished a prejudice against them. They are 

 now u.sed almost universally, and they and 

 corn are considered two of the greatest gifts 

 which this continent has furnished to the Old 

 World. The potato really is and should be 

 designated as the American potato. 



WHAT SHALL WE RAISE? 



The question above given interests every 

 farmer, but especially those of us who live in 

 the older portions of the country, where 

 "farming don't pay," is so often asserted, and 

 so often Illustrated by those who assert It. 

 The St.ate Board of Agriculture of Massachn- 

 sctts, held its winter meeting In the N. W. 

 part of the State. Those of us who attended 

 from other States, found much to interest 

 and instruct. The excellent dairy show held 

 at that time, has been described In "Among 

 the Fanners." A most interesting part of 

 the proceedings, was a paper on the Agricul- 

 ture of Franklin Co., founded upon the U. S. 

 Census of 1840, and the State Census of 1875, 

 and pointed out the change that iiad taken 

 place in the farm production, during 85 years. 

 I wish that this paper could be read and con- 

 sidered, not only by every New Euglland 

 farmer, but by evei7 farmer in all of the 

 older States, where the farming of 50 years 

 ago no longer "pays." The experience of the 

 farmers in Franklin Co., shows that If "the 

 times" change, we must change with them, 

 and if one crop does not pay, we must then 

 grow another that will. It appears from the 

 paper referred to, that there are only five 

 crops cultivated in Franklin Co., that show 

 any substantial increase In the int-.-rval of .'io 

 years. These are poultry, which rose from 

 $(t,078, to $31,1.55; bay Increased from 43.853, 

 01,051) tons; tobacco, from 000 lbs. to l,i)07,091 

 lbs.; dairy products, from $105,765, to .'S424,- 

 04'2. Broom corn is a new crop In the county, 

 and only amounted to 13,579 pounds. Besides 

 these crops which have increased, neat cattle, 



horses, and corn show but a slight falling off, 

 and may be considered fairly paying crops. 

 There Is great falling off in the number of 

 sheep, but the large increase In their value 

 per head, and In the value of lambs sold for 

 market, would probably make sheep raising a 

 paying Industry. In nearly all other farm 

 animals and crops, there Is a large falling olT 

 in production, showing that farmers do not 

 consider it profitable to raise them. Swiue, 

 wheat, ;ind rye, have fallen off nearly 2U0 per 

 cent., oats more than 300, and potatoes, 100 

 per cent. The increase in poultry Is about 200 

 per cent., dairy jiroducts about 400, orchard 

 products 500, and tobacco still larger. Frank- 

 lin county Is in the heart of the New England 

 dairy region, and probably shows as fairly as 

 any county, the drift of eastern agriculture. 

 The fair inference is that farmers are abandon- 

 ing these crops which show so large a de- 

 crease, because they are unprofitable. Agri- 

 culture in the older States, is in a transition 

 state, and we are slowly feeling our way to a 

 better husbandry. The (irogress is very_.slow, 

 but we are confident it Is very sure. So much 

 light Is breaking out from our agricultural 

 Journals, our State and County Fairs, and our 

 Farmer's Conventions, that we can not al- 

 ways grow crops that run us In debt, because 

 our fathers grew them. We must inevitably 

 get out of the ruts. Nothing could show 

 more clearly than these statistics, the folly of 

 raising croiis that do not pay. Pork raising 

 for the general market, does not pay, and it 

 has fallen ofl'200 per cent, in 35 years. Why, 

 then, should we undertake to raise any more 

 pork, than will supply the family? The rais- 

 ing of poultry does jiay, for it has increased 

 200 per cent. Why should we not invest our 

 capital and labor in that which experience 

 shows iiays well. A farmer with a good 

 range, can raise a ton of pork. The ton of 

 pork would he worth In the village market 

 this year, about six cents a pound, or .?P20.00 

 a ton. The turkey, eighteen cents, or IStiO.OO. 

 Why not raise turkeys? And so, of the other 

 things that are proved to be profitable. Let 

 us get out of the ruts, and raise those crops 

 promptly called for. Farmers should keep a 

 keen eye on the markets, see which way the 

 popular taste is tending, and plant, sow, breed, 

 and in every way plan to meet the demands 

 of the times. — A7nerican Ayrkulturist. 



[The writer of the above probably under- 

 stands farming a good deal better than he does 

 arithmetic or per centage. To .say that a 

 crop has fallen off 200 per cent. Is equlvolent 

 to saying that a man who raised 100 bushels 

 of wheat la.st year raised 200 bushels less this 

 year than last, and Is absurd. If a crop of 

 100 bushels one year falls off to one bushel the 

 next the decrease is 90 per cent, and more 

 than loo per cent, it cannot diminish, for 100 

 is the whole of it.— Ed. Farmer.] 



FARMER AND GARDENER. 

 Ground-nut Growing Again. 



Raising ground-nuts in this state Is again 

 recommended by those who know nothing 

 about growing them. It has often been tried, 

 and every experiment we ever heard of was 

 the same — an utter failure. Wo have tried 

 it ourselves, giving it iiersonal attention, and 

 produced larger and finer looking nuts than 

 we ever saw in the Philadelphia market. 

 But when they were opened tlicrc was noth- 

 ing there ! Southern Jersey soil might be 

 adapted to growing them; but the ground or 

 pea-nut is a Southern fruit, and those who at- 

 tempt to grow them will have their labor for 

 their pains. 



Raising ground-nuts In Pennsylvania, and 

 in this latitude. Is on par with raising upland 

 cranberries and whortleberries in gardens, 

 and figs upon the farm. Common sense, 

 without going to the expense of experiment- 

 ing, ought to teach every one its imjiractica- 

 bility. 



Tobacco- Growing. 



This is the mania, just now, in a number of 

 counties in this state, and as it produces good 

 profits— more, it is claimed, than many of the 



