50 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



ization, the number of members, the general course 

 pursued, whether it be by discussions, lectures, 

 town shows, or otherwise, the nature of the assis- 

 tance which would be most acceptable to the mem- 

 bers of the club, and all other necessary informa- 

 tion, should be forwarded to me, when, if it is 

 practicable, th» club may be furnished with copies 

 of the Reports of the Board, and with one or more 

 agents to take part in the discussions or lecture, 

 according to circumstances. 



Please state explicitly, therefore, if it is pro- 

 posed to ask any aid, what is wanted and on what 

 special subject it is desirable the agent should 

 speak, the time when the meetings will be held, &c. 



Any club which maybe formed, or any club now 

 in existence which may wish to avail itself of the 

 provisions of the above named Act, Avill be expect- 

 ed to conform to said Act by making the required 

 returns at the time specified, and to aid the Board 

 in collecting facts and statistics relating to agri- 

 culture if it should hereafter be desired. 

 Very truly, your obedient servant, 



Charles L. Flint, 

 Sec. of the State Board of Agricullure. 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



At the weekly meeting of the Concord Farmers' 

 Club, Dec. 1, 1859, an interesting discussion oc- 

 curred on Sheep Husbandry. But few of the mem- 

 bers of the club have had experience in this de- 

 partment of farming. The subject, however, is ar- 

 resting the attention of farmers in the eastern 

 parts of the State. It is believed that sheep may 

 be profitably raised for their mutton, and that in 

 connection with this they maybe made the means of 

 renovating our exhausted and bush-covered pas- 

 tures. AVe are glad to learn that the Trustees of 

 the Middlesex Agricultural Society have offered a 

 premium of fifteen dollars for the best flock of not 

 less than twenty sheep, that shall have been oAvned 

 in the county six months. We hope the enterpris- 

 ing farmers in that county will test the profit of 

 raising sheep, whether for wool or mutton, and 

 the offset of keeping them u])on their pastures. 

 Through the kindness of Dr. Joseph Reynolds, 

 the able Secretary and Reporter of the club, we 

 nave obtained from the records some of the re- 

 marks which we give below. The first four per- 

 sons who speak are appointed as leaders at a pre- 

 vious meeting, so that delay never occurs in open- 

 ing the discussions. 



Mr. Simon Bro\vtv remarked that he was fa- 

 miliar with the care of sheep in his youth. He had 

 been obliged to sit up night after night, in cold 

 weather, to take care of lambs, because they were 

 dropped too early. The first broadcloth he ever 

 wore, was made from the wool of sheep which he 

 had assisted to raise. Sheep raising was formerly 

 profitable, but it had been discontinued among us, 

 chiefly on account of the losses occasioned by dogs. 

 He had been informed that in the adjoining coun- 

 "■y of Essex, there were only 500 sheep, but there 



were 3,500 dogs ! A good many persons are now 

 entering upon the business, A new spirit has been 

 awakened upon the subject. Sheep have been im- 

 proved in size and productiveness, as much as, and 

 perhaps more than, cattle. Fifty years ago, a 

 quarter of mutton in England, that weighed 15 or 

 20 pounds, was thought large. Now a quarter oi 

 mutton is frequently seen weighing 50 or 60 

 pounds. One weighing 60 povmds was recently 

 exhibited in Boston market. If there is a demand 

 for mutton, sheep raising must be profitable. He 

 had no doubt that there would be a demand for all 

 the good mutton that might be raised. He spoke 

 of the effect of keeping sheep in reclaiming pas- 

 tures. He knew a tract of land in Plymouth Coun- 

 ty, that was formerly so covered with briars and 

 rose bushes, that it was almost impossible to walk 

 through it. He saw it last fall, and it was a beau- 

 tiful green pasture, Avith a smooth surface, and 

 not a bush or briar upon it. It had been reclaimed 

 by the use of sheep alone. If he were going to 

 keep sheep, he should select good, healthy, well- 

 favored animals, and would never confine them to 

 one place, in doors or out. They should be al- 

 lowed to run in and out of the barn at will, all 

 Avinter. In clear, cold weather, when the thermom- 

 eter was below zero, they would lie on the litter 

 in the yard. When it was damp, even if warm, 

 they Avould lie in the barn. They should be al- 

 loAved to follow their instincts in this respect. His 

 father's barn had racks all around the walls on the 

 inside. The hay, mostly clover, Avas let doAvn from 

 above, and troughs Avere furnished vuider the racks 

 for roots and beans, and to catch the clover heads 

 if any fell through the racks. Diseased sheep 

 must be immediately removed from the flock. 



Mr. E. Wood, Jr., remarked that he had no ex- 

 perience upon the subject, but he thought it as de- 

 sirable to keep a variety of stock, as to raise a va- 

 riety of crops. The profit Avould depend upon cir- 

 cumstances. Sheep might be profitable on lands 

 that AACre easily fenced, and not upon other lands. 

 He has a large pasture, much grown over, Avhere 

 he has been mowing and burning the bushes. He 

 has moAved over 50 acres the past year. This pas- 

 ture is fenced on two sides Avith heavy stone Avails. 

 These Avails he proposes to top either Avith poles 

 or vines, and to put on sheep the next season. He 

 thinks, from Avhat he has seen, that he can keep 50 

 sheep, and after tAvo years, as many cows as he 

 now does, with the sheep, and expects to find 

 sheep that may be kept by common fences. He 

 has seen a fiock of one hundred, that yield five 

 pounds of wool to a sheep, that do not get over a 

 three foot rail. They are destroying the bushes 

 and weeds, and bringing in the Avhite clover. This 

 is the effect Ave most need. 



Mr. James B. Elliot, from Keene, N. H., Avas 

 present, and favored the club with some interest- 



