VOL. x\^II. so. ar. 



ND HORTICULTURA L REGISTER 



231 



From llie Farmer's Montlily Visilo 



FINE WOOLED SHEEP. 



Hopkinlon, .March 1, 1839. 

 D^„r Sir:— I have seen in the last number of, 

 . Farmer-s Montlily Visitor, page seventh, an ^ 

 count of the purchase and stocking with sheep , 

 the Burleiah farm in Dorchester, by President i 

 ,rd of Dartmouth College. In the nccount giv- 

 a very unfavorable allusion is made to the fine 

 erino and Saxony sheep, as requiring the utniost | 

 re and the most tender trentment. I also find in 

 e second number of the same work, page eigh- , 

 -nth a declaration that the native Ne>v England 

 eep are more hardy and less liable to disease, 

 an the finer breeds ; and that an opinion is sug- 

 ited that they may be kept at as good advan- 

 „-e. I am not prepared to say that the native 

 eep of this country may not be raised by the 

 rmer at a profit, if they can he found ; but I know 

 none that are not more or less mixed with the 

 ,er kinds. I greatly misjudge, if the advan- 

 .re is not very much in favor of the finer breds, 

 Td the finer the greater the profit. I am also ex- 

 -mely deceived if they are not kept through the 

 ■ar at as little expense as the. natives, and at 

 uch less trouble. Native sheep are uniformly , 

 11 loner, lank, and coarse woolcd ; untame, great 

 cers and expert jumpers ; vexing their owners, 

 ,d frequently the wliole neighborhood by visiting 

 ,ery field and enclosure they wish. The Sax- 

 ly and Merino sheep, which produce the finest 

 ool that is known in this or any other country, 

 ■e shorter legged than the native breed, 'more 

 ,und and pluinp in every part of them, and easily 

 ittened. They are more quiet and peaceable in 

 ,eir disposition, and with ordinary care of fences, 

 ^Idom if ever stray from the pasture where they 

 'e put They afford mutlou equal to any other 

 ind ; their quarters being round and full, mild, ten- 

 ■er.and fine flavored. 'l hey are the smallest 

 heep I have ever known. This I consider an ad- 

 antacxe rather than a disadvantage. They are not 

 ,ko our oxen required to perform labor. They are 

 ept for their flesh and fleece only, and fro u long 

 .bservation I am convinced that it requires the 

 ame quantity and quality of food to make a 

 nindred pounds (T mutton, or a hundred pounds ot 

 TOoI, whether, it be given to small or large sheep 

 As recrards diseases of fine sheep, I know ot 

 ,ione thai may not be visited upon the nalives, 

 «'hich are equally liable when brought together in 

 ■ae flocks. In my own flock I have never 

 own any contagious disease, if I may except a 

 nock of tine sheep of one hundred and twentyone 

 ivhich I took in the fall of IS-'O, for the term ot one 

 year When I took this flock, they were all dis- 

 eased and lame with the foot-rot. I found them 

 extremely poor, and some of them unable to walk, 

 and feeding upon their knees. During the year I 

 lost nine of them by poverty and disease, and two 

 by casuality. At the expiration of the term I di- 

 vided equally with the other owner one hundred 

 and ten old ones, and at the thirds, thiitysix lambs, 

 all perfectly healthy and in good order. With tins 

 exception, I have never known any contagious dis- 

 case to trouble any sheep I have had the care of 

 1 seldom lose one in any way, and am equally for- 

 tunate with my lambs, when not troubled by foxes. 

 At the yeamng season of 1839, one fox k.ll.^d from 

 my flock and carried to her young, seventeen ambs 

 in four days and nights. I had a number killed at 



other times, and my loss in lambs by foxes that sea- 

 son was from fifty to sixty dollars. 



I am one of those who believe things should bo 

 told as they are. I shonM feel hurt were 1 to lead 

 any one astray from his interest by any thmg that 

 I have said, and as some piouf of the truth of the 

 forn-ei-oing, I here give an account of the income 

 of my own flock. My average number of sheep at 

 the shearing season in eight years, from 1831 to 

 1838 inclusive, has been two hundred and fortyonc. 

 I have received in cash for sheep and wool sold 

 from my flock during that time, four thousand, five 

 hundred eightyfour dollars and seven cents ; giv- 

 ing a yearly income of five hundred seventythree 

 I dollars and one cent, or at the rate of two dollars 

 thirlyseven cents and a fraction a head, a year. 



When it is considered that six small fine sheep 

 may be kept on the same food that would be re- 

 quired to keep five coarse ones, which I have no 

 doubt is short of a reasonable estimate, a prefer- 

 ence for the fine flocks will be more apparent. 



I shall be likely to retain my partiality for fine 

 sheep till some one gives an account of a more pro- 

 fitable flock of coarse ones of an equal number. 

 Stephen Siblky. 



who have purchased Berkshires previous to seeing 

 his, engaged pigs of him on account of the .slock 

 being superior to their own. 



We could but admire the fine form of a grand- 

 son of Mr 0. N. Bement's sow 'Stately.' Mr R. 

 informed us it was then 9 l-'i months old. On tho 

 tape being applied, we fiiund the length from nose 

 to root of tail, 5 feet 3 inches. I ought to add, as 

 tlie residence of .Mr Ilamsdell is hut one mile Iroin 

 tho Norwich and Worcester railroad, our farmers 

 along the railroad from Thompson to Boston, might 

 con\°eniently supply themselves with pigs from his 

 e.<tahlishmeiit. " 



JFehster, Jan.l, 18-10. 



For llie JNew England Farmer. 

 BERKSHIRE PIGS. 



Mr BaECK: — As many impositions have been 

 palmed off on my brother farmers who have pur- 

 chased what we called Berkshire pigs, I am induced 

 to state a few facts and offer a few thoughts on j 

 his subject. Many pigs have been sold from droves 

 passing through this State, Connecticut and Rhode I 

 Island.'which do not resemble the true kind only 

 as they have some black bristles mixed with white ; 

 some nearlv all black, of common breeds, have been 

 s,dd for pure blooded Berkshire. Some drovers 

 have bought up a lot of runts, unfit to breed from, 

 in Albany and its vicinity, because they could be 

 obtained cheap, and sold them out as .they passed 

 through the country, while some men in the vicini- 

 ty of'^Albany, (Mr Uemeut informs us,) do not hesi- 

 t'ate to sell" half blood for the pure blooded Berk- 

 shire, they also are disposed of among the farmers, 

 and the impositions are calculated to a create a 

 prejudice against this excellent breed of hogs,— 

 for alter seeing a pig called Berkshire, supposing 

 it a fair sample of the breed, many have supposed 

 them no better then the common breeds. In view 

 of these facts, 1 would suggest the propriety of 

 our farmers visiting some establishments where the 

 pure bloods are bred, and examining pigs that have 

 been obtained of honofable breeders, before they 

 reject the Berkshire hogs. We also think breed- 

 ers ouirht to select the very be?t to breed from, , 

 and breed from them only, that the breed may im- , 

 prove instead of degenerating.. j 



We are ple.ised with the principle adopted by 

 H S Ramsdell, a breeder of Berkshire hogs in 

 West Thompson, Ct., who breeds only from the ] 

 vtry best, and in supplying orders for pigs, sending 

 only those worthy to be bred from, reserving the 

 inferior ones for the knife. Mr Ramsdell has 

 taken areat pains to obtain a lot to breed from, of 

 the best form without regard to price. We visited 

 his establishment not long since and found some of 

 the best pure blooded Berkshires we have ever seen. 

 At the fairs we have attended, or breeding estab- 

 lishments we have visited, we have never seen 

 their equal : several persons in the adjoining towns 



WITCH GRASS. 

 Mr Editor— Some of your correspondents have 

 been striving to rid themselves and their neighbors 

 of that troublesome weed, witch^grass. Now T hap- 

 pen to know from experience one of the easiestand 

 most profitable methods of destroying this grass.— 

 This grass will never increase in pastures. It al- 

 ways finds its way into such land as has a warm 

 li>rht soil, and is most cultivated. Land abounding 

 in' this weed should be immediately converted to a 

 sheep pasture, and in a few years it will be entire- 

 ly eradicated. 



My father once took a piece which was thickly 

 set with it, ploughed it late in June, sowed it with 

 winter rye and turned it into his sheep pasture. 



The rye continued to come up for a year or two 

 and was kept closely fed by the sheep, and in a 

 few years the witch grass was exchanged tor sweet 

 clover and red-top. I doubt not but that this plan 

 micht be adopted to advantage on many farms that 

 are° overrun with this useless weed. It is fnlly_ to 

 talk ofdio-ging itup whenithas obtained a hnn 

 foothold "Land that is of a light thin soil can ne 

 chan<^ed from tillage to pasturing to great advan- 

 tace. Pastures would be improved in this way, for 

 it "is batlei^nomy' to possess a pasture that, will 

 give only now and then a spot that cattle wjU 

 touch. 



Another method I have seen practised in ridding 

 small garden spots of this grass, which is by laying 

 boards closely over the ground for a season. 'I his 

 is much easier than to dig it np. While on this 

 point I cannot help noticing one fault among gar- 

 deners. They are very anxious to prevent the 

 i weeds from going to seed during the first part of 

 ! tiie season, but as soon as ihe plants get a little 

 start, they suffer the weeds to take their own course. 

 Consequently there is a fresh supply of seed lor the 

 succeeding spring. 



If some of your correspondents will couns-l me 

 in killing thistles with as little labor and as nu'ch 

 profit as'l have advised them in killing witch grass, 

 they will receive my sincere thanks — Farmers Reg- 

 ister. 



The Dahlia is a Mexican plant, and was intro- 

 duced into this country about thirty years ago. 



The average price of flour through the country 

 at the last dates was $5 48 per barrel. 



The Albany Evening Journal says, that a line of 

 225 boats, some days ago detained hy the ice west 

 of Utica, in the canal, wore in motion, and approacli- 

 incr Albany, with flour and other merchandise to 

 the value of nearly half a million of dollars. 



