1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



329 



promptly pay for the newspapers they read, keep 

 posted up ill the affairs of the -world, and are 

 brave, hardy and intelligent — true descendants of 

 the old stock of '76. Eureka ! What a blessed 

 place is Dunbarton, Merrimack County, in the 

 State of New Hampshire ! But Dunbarton can- 

 not supply the demand for girls for all New Eng- 

 land, and young men who are "seeking a settle- 

 ment for life," must govern themselves accord- 

 ingly. 



Whatever of romance may be found in this ar- 

 ticle, may be charged to our old friend, David 

 Tenny, Esq., of Dunbarton, who thinks that if 

 that spot is not Paradise itself, he who resides 

 there will find himself on the direct road to that 

 desirable place. 



For the Netc England Farmer. 



SEASOK" IN" VERMOWT— SHEEP AND 

 LAMBS. 



Mr, Editor: — It is now the 27th day of May. 

 The weather is fine. Grass looks well, as does 

 early sowed grain ; the season has been short 

 for farmers to get in their crops, yet they have not 

 been idle since Mother Earth has been stript of 

 hor white covering which has so long concealed 

 her from view. The farmers have got in large 

 crops, generally ; though there are many that have 

 gone to fight for their country, yet those that are 

 left at home with their shovels and hoes, seem to 

 think that they can do as much for their country 

 by cultivating the land, as their brothers who 

 have gone to the field of battle. The trees are all 

 leaved out, and the plum trees are in full bloom ; 

 the past winter has been very favorable for fruit 

 trees, as there was no thaw to start the sap, nor 

 sudden freezes, which I think have done more to 

 shorten the lives of the apple trees than anything 

 else. Vv'here were once raised 600 and 1000 bush- 

 els of apples, are now raised only 12, 20 and oO 

 bushels, and in some places not any ; there is not 

 an orchard within my knowledge, where there is 

 not more or less of the trees dead, and it will not 

 be long before the farmers of Vermont will de- 

 pend, in a great measure, on other States for their 

 fruit, while they have as good soil for fruit rais- 

 ing as any other State. The trouble is, they do 

 not take good care of their fruit trees ; they have 

 heretofore raised their own fruit, but they think it 

 won't pay to trim up the old orchard, in which 

 more than half the trees are dead. 



The ground is quite dry, as there has been very 

 little rain since the farmers commenced work on 

 land. It has been a very good time for lambs 

 this spring. There are quite a number of sheep 

 in Northern Vermont ; a great many of them are 

 the Merinos, which produce an excellent quality 

 of wool, but are not large enough for mutton, and 

 there is a manifest degeneracy in them. They re- 

 quire more care and better food than the common 

 breed, and also require a temperate climate. 



What breed of sheep is best for a farmer to 

 keep for wool and mutton ? The sheep-growers are 

 apt to let their flocks degenerate in consequence 

 of the bad selection of males and injudicious 

 crossing ; these points require unremitting atten- 

 tion, for it has been proved by experience that 



even the best breeds lose a portion of their good 

 qualities, if the necessary crossing is not seasona- 

 bly undertaken. The separation of the flocks into 

 sections, or families, should be strictly observed ; 

 the product of each animal should be carefully 

 weighed, and registered from generation to gener- 

 ation, and as soon as it is perceived that a fleece 

 is diminishing in weight, or deteriorating in qual- 

 ity, a change in the male animal should be made 

 immediatelv- H. w. J. 



Orleans County, VL, 18G2. 



For the ISIew England Farmer. 

 "TWIN" LAMBS." 



Mr. Editor: — Many of our farmers are of 

 opinion that the rearing of two lambs, yearly, from 

 one sheep, is more remunerative than the rearing 

 of one. I think this opinion is erroneous, as any 

 one who will take the trouble to investigate the 

 subject must readily see. I believe every one will 

 admit that it is more profitable to keep good stock 

 than it is to keep poor, and we certainly cannot 

 produce as good when one animal is suffered to 

 rear two, as we could if it only reared one. 



For instance, to illustrate the matter, we wiU. 

 suppose that 100 sheep, of the value of $300, pro- 

 duce 100 lambs. Ten per cent, of those lambs 

 will probably die, leaving 90 to be reared. 90 

 lambs, at one year old, after being sheared, will 

 be worth $3 per head. They M'ill shear about 4i 

 pounds of wool per head, or 405 pounds. 



On the other hand, if every sheep produces 

 two lambs, from 100 sheep we shall have 200* 

 lambs. Of course, these Avill not be as large and 

 strong as the others, consequently, a larger pro- 

 portion will die, undoubtedly twenty per cent, at 

 least, leaving 160 to be reared. These, at one 

 year old, being smaller and less thrifty than the 

 others, will not be worth over $2 per head. For 

 the same season they will not shear over 3 pounds 

 of wool each, or 1^ pounds per head less than the 

 first, amounting to 480 pounds. The wear and 

 tear on the invested capital or original stock of 

 $300 in the latter case must be at least fifteen per 

 cent, greater than in the former, amounting to 

 $45. The cost of keeping the surplus Iambs, 70 

 in number, one year, would be at least $60. The 

 result, as near as I can estimate it, will be as fol- 

 lows : 



90 lambs, 1 year old, $3 per head $270 



405 iwunds of wool, at 40 cents per pound 1S2 



Whole amount $432 



On the other hand, — 



160 lambs, 1 year old, at $2 per head $320 



4S0 pounds of wool, at 40 cents per pound 192 



Gross proceeds $512 



Deduct for extra wear and tear on capital 45 



" " keeping 70 surplus lambs 60 



Net i^roceeds -$407 



Leaving a balance of $23 in favor of the 90 lambs. 

 I believe, Mr. Editor, that this is a fair and candid 

 estimate. If any of the advocates for rearing tvna 

 lambs can show a different result, I, as well as 

 many others interested, would like to hear from 

 them. A Constant Reader. 



Balsm, N. Y., May 28, 1862. 



