i860. 



NEW ENGLAND EAEMEE. 



51 



ing remarks. He is engaged in sheep husbandry, 

 and has been for five years. His sheep had be- 

 come breachy. When this is the case, the best 

 way is to change the entire flock. He had recent- 

 ly been looking among the sheep in Vermont, and 

 h id purchased a hundred, at the average price of 

 five dollars. He expects they will yield from five 

 to six pounds of wool each. He has been to Al- 

 bany, and seen the long-wooled sheep. They do 

 best, as he is informed, in small flocks. He wishes 

 to keep a pretty large flock ; has one pasture that 

 will carry 300, and another that will carry from 

 loO to 200. Sheep require about one acre each. 

 If the land is very rocky, they require more. Large 

 sheep require more. He has concluded to keep 

 fine wooled sheep. Many of the farmers on the 

 Connecticut are now feeding all the corn they can 

 raise to their sheep. They buy wethers, and put 

 them up about the 1st of December, and give them 

 cob meal, and oats, all they wUl eat. In March 

 they shear them, and send to market in the cars, 

 alive. They will weigh from 150 to 170 pounds, 

 live weight, and bring from five and a half to seven 

 cents per pound. In "Walpole, N. H., they are 

 feeding 4,000 this Avinter. The farmer may fat two 

 sets in the fall and winter. Mr. Johnson, of New 

 York, fats all the year round. The manure from 

 sheep is better than that from cows. From 21 

 sheep, he made 10 loads of the best manure he 

 ever saw. Leaves, or some proper absorbent, 

 should be placed on the bottom of the yard, and 

 litter used as required. This manure is excellent 

 to mix with muck. It costs about forty cents, in 

 New Hampshire, to pasture a sheep from the 10th 

 of April till the 20th of November, or till they 

 are "snowed up," and about $1,10 in the winter. 

 A sheep requires about two pounds of hay, daily. 

 He feeds with hay twice a day, and once with 

 roots. Sheep require a plenty of fresh air, and 

 running water. Some keep them without water, 

 but it is not so well. Sheep will destroy almost 

 every kind of bushes, except pines and alders. 

 Some sheep are easily kept within ordinary fences. 

 Others will learn to jump over almost every fence. 

 He related an anecdote of one man Avho had kept 

 a flock of sheep 29 years, and never knew but one 

 get out of the pasture. Mr. E. thought small mut- 

 ton quite as good as large, but that, as most far- 

 mers in this section would keep only small flocks, 

 tlie long wooled sheep might be the most profita- 

 ble here. The Cotswold and South Downs would 

 yield from five to six pounds of wool. This wool, 

 although it does not fetch quite as much as fine 

 wool, is in demand for certain kinds of manufac- 

 ture. He said that a man of his acquaintance in 

 Vermont realizes $1000 per year from 200 sheep. 

 We think these statements from an intelligent, 

 practical man, who is himself engaged in the busi- 

 ness, will not be without interest to many of our 



readers. Several other gentlemen of the club 

 spoke upon the subject, and were listened to Avith 

 interest. 



Fo?- the Kew England Farme7. 

 SEASON AND CROPS IN IOWA. 



Onr western autumn is departing as quietly as 

 a lamb. Early in November, we had a severe at- 

 tack of winter of two or three days' continuance ; 

 Avith this exception, it has been mild and dry 

 throughout. 



The sharp frost, September 1, together Avith the 

 severe drought preceding and following, reduced 

 the corn crop nearly one-half from Avhat it prom- 

 ised early in the season. The cob is of the usual 

 size ; but the kernel is shi'unk so much that it re- 

 quires tAvo full bushels of ears to make one of 

 corn. One and a half of ears to one of corn, is, I 

 believe, the usual proportion. 



The Avheat also failed to realize the expectation 

 of farmers, in amount, by about one-third ; though 

 of very good quality. 



Potatoes are very small, and not very numer- 

 ovis, but entirely free from rot, and of very good 

 quality, even the smallest. 



BuckAvheat Avas completely ruined by the frost, 

 and the sorghum greatly damaged, both in quan- 

 tity and quality. There Avas a large amount of 

 the latter planted ; but it does not prove a very 

 profitable crop, as yet. 



While our friends at the East are rejoicing in 

 the full tide of prosperity, Ave are still obliged to 

 Avait for the "good time" to come. Many of our 

 farmers, AA'ho Avere badly in debt, are not only un- 

 able to extricate themselves, but scarcely able to 

 pay their interest, from the in-gatherings of the 



Nevertheless, Ave kept Thanksgiving with you, 

 and the other tAventy-five States, on the 24th inst. 

 And very much do Ave find to be thankful for, al- 

 though still depressed Avith debt and short crops. 

 We still continue to have excellent health. Dis- 

 ease, Avhat little there is, assumes a very mild 

 form, more so, I think, than in Massachusetts. 

 The scarlet fever, Avhich has lingered around us 

 for months, is so mild and tractable as to be man- 

 aged in most cases Avithout medicine. Very fcAv 

 have died of it ; none, I believe, Avho trusted to 

 Avater applications and good care. M. R. C. 



Tipton, Iowa, Nov. 30, 1859. 



Points of Cows. — Mr. A. L. Fish, a dairyman 

 of Herkimer County, N. Y., gives in the Little 

 Falls Bairi/man's Record, some observations on 

 this subject. He says : 



"I have never known a cow, Avith soft, fur-like 

 hair and melloAV skin, appearing yelloAv and gum- 

 my at the roots of the hair Avhen parted Avith the 

 hands, that Avas not a good butter coav, and Avhen 

 fattened, Avould mix talloAV Avell Avith flesh. In- 

 stead of heavy head, horns, neck and shoulders, 

 and comparatively light hind quarters, Avhich is 

 characteristic of the opposite sex, she should shoAV 

 an opposite design, by a feminine countenance, 

 light head, neck, and shoulders, Avidening back- 

 Avard from her chest to the loin and hind-quarters." 



