164 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



the sheep. There is also an unevenness and ir- 

 regularity about the length of tke scales, accord- 

 ing to the food, the exercise and health of ths 

 sheep, as also a difference of the condition of the 

 '"■yolk" or greasy substance surrounding and per- 

 vading the interior of the fibres of the wool, which 

 affect the fineness and coarseness of the fibre, 

 and its adaptability to secure and receive color. 

 All these differences affect the value of the wool to 

 the manufacturer, as well as help deceive him 

 in the purchase of wool. The shrinkage of wool 

 is the bane of the manufacturer; no two fleeces 

 shrink tdike, and the mistakes made in selections 

 of wool, from not being able to determine these 

 differences in its condition, have ruined more wool- 

 en manufacturers in New England than all other 

 causes combined. Even the best and most skilful 

 woolen manufacturers have never been able to cal- 

 culate, with any certainty, the real cost of goods 

 beforehand, from the fact that they could seldom 

 rely on an average shrinkage on wool which could 

 be estimated by samples. These difficulties can 

 be better understood by the farmer than the man- 

 ufacturer, and he can do more towards remedying 

 the evil. The proper care of the sheep will pro- 

 duce good fleeces and of uniform quality of wool. 

 Few people get the true value of the sheep's pro- 

 duct, or rather what might be the product, for 

 want of pro])er care. 



A distinguished gentleman told me a few days 

 since, that while visiting a brother v,ho had a large 

 flock of sheep in New Hampshire, he was told 

 that a widow lady in the neighborhood had a flock 

 of but half the size of his brother's, and of the 

 same kind of sheep, from which she got as much 

 wool as came from his brother's whole flock, and 

 that his brother frankly admitted that the reason 

 was the widow tended her sheep better, and thus 

 got more wool and lamljs than he did. Now this 

 principle is undoubtedly correct. Be kind to your 

 sheep and teach them never to fear you, but on 

 the contrary to follow you, as do the sheep in 

 Spain when on their long marches. See, in win- 

 ter, that they have proper housings, proper food 

 and water, and ]n-oper exercise ; the latter princi- 

 ple being applicable to all stock on the farm. 

 Sheep, more than most any other domestic ani- 

 mals, have a confiding nature, and like attention ; 

 are affectionate and are always happier and more 

 contented when in sigiit of the flock tender. A 

 little attention in this respect, even in New Eng- 

 land, will promote the growth of sheep. Again, 

 dogs, unless especially trained with sheep, should 

 be kept from them. In the western part of Mas- 

 sachusetts, it has been said that dogs killed more 

 sheep than the butchers. In such cases, slaughter 

 the dogs, and let the sheep live in peace. 



The profession of the farmer is undoubtedly the 

 highest of all professions, and that of the shepherd 

 is next. We need not fear the influence oi either. 

 David of old was a shepherd boy, and after he as- 

 cended the throne, he still kept up an interest in 

 pastoral life, and had numerous flocks and herds. 

 His devotional thoughts partook much of pastoral 

 life. " The Lor?i is my shepherd ; I shall not want. 

 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He 

 leadeth me beside the still waters." "Be thou dil- 

 igent," says Solomon, "to know the state of thy 

 flocks, and look well to thy herds. The lambs 

 are thy clothing, and the goats are the price of thy 

 field, and thou shalt have goat's milk enough for 



thy food, for the food of thy household, and for 

 the maintenance of thy maidens." 



We may honor the profession of sheep-raising 

 and wool-growing ; yea, we may also be proud of 

 the manufacture of wool ; nothing has been accom- 

 plished by the American farmer, or his wife, more 

 favorable to his New England character than that 

 of the domestic manufacture of wool and flax. 

 When the mothers and sisters carded, spun and 

 wove their wool and flax for domestic use, a work 

 was accomplished greater than the saving of so 

 much money. The labor was great, but the edu- 

 cation gained was substantial. Such experience 

 made hardy mothers, useful and accomplished 

 daughters : fit, even, for all the higher accomplish- 

 ments of refined life, and no way inconsistent with 

 them. Said an old lady to me, a few years since, 

 "I used to rise in the morning early enough to get 

 my breakfast, dress the children and get my work 

 done by daylight, so as to commence weaving as 

 soon as I could see the thread in the shuttle." Such 

 were the pioneer mothers of New England, who 

 valued and honored sheep-raising, wool-growing 

 and manufacturing, and their memory will be with 

 us and in our history, as long as the virtues of our 

 people shall find a record in the English language. 



s. M. A. 



Fur the New En<iland Farmer. 

 LISTENER AT THE STATE HOUSE.— No. 2. 



At the first of these series of meetings, when 

 the subject was Agricultural Education, Mr. 

 Gkorge B. Emi^rson opened the discussion, and 

 highly extolled that part of the Governor's address 

 which referred to the establishment of an agricul- 

 tural college, on the basis of the grant of land 

 from Congress. This gentleman, as well as other 

 speakers, seemed to think that the proposed col- 

 lege was to be a purely agricultural college ; 

 whereas, according to the grant, ^'■militanj tactics," 

 and such branches of learning as are related to 

 the "mechanic arts," are to stand prominent in 

 such an institution. The words of the Act are : 

 "Where the leading object shall be, without ex- 

 cluding other scientific and classical studies, and 

 including military tactics, to teach such branches 

 of learning as are related to agriculture and the 

 mechanic arts, in such a manner as the Legisla- 

 ture m.¥ prescribe." 



It would seem, then, from this, that the teaching 

 of agriculture could only be a small portion of the 

 labor for this college to engage in. If the general 

 principles of this are taught, so must also be those 

 of the other studies named ; and if the young 

 farmer is to be finished off to perfection in this in- 

 stitution, then it is only fair that the mechanic 

 should be so also. Besides agriculture, military 

 tactics are to be taught, and a young man must be 

 shown how to make a locomotive, a watch, a wheel- 

 barrow, a copper kettle, &c. To do this to any 

 useful extent, the institution must necessarily be 

 vcri/ larijc ; and if well patronized, there is some 

 danger of its monopolizing the business of teach- 

 ing in all trades. Who would learn a trade any- 

 where else, all other things being equal P But 

 they cannot be equal ; for a mechanic's apprentice 

 could otherwheres more than earn his livelihood 

 while acquiring a knowledge of his business. 

 There might be some question, then, whether any 

 one would patronize such a sliop or school for the 

 "mechanic arts." And for the same reason, there 



