1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



475 



A VEBMONT REPORT ON SCOURED MERINO FLEECES. 



Owners' Names. 



^^ 



c g 

 <5 



<3 



ifams. 



Wiley & Bo.-worth,* 

 Kdwin Piper,*. . . , 

 H. & N. Locke,* . . . , 



D. ]). Williaivs,*. . 

 Henry Saft' inl,* . . . , 

 J. n. Walker, . . . . , 

 N. P. Wliite, . . . . , 



Ewes. 

 C. Horace Hubbard,* , 

 C. Horace Flubbard,* , 



E. X. Pierce,* 



J. (>» Davis,* 



M. C. Houiidv,* . . . . 

 C. Hora.e Hubbard,* . 

 C. Horace Hubljard,* , 

 O. W.Pdlcifer,*. . . . 

 M. C. Koundy,* . . . . 

 Arthur Williams,* . , 

 George Wiley,* . . . . 

 M. C. Houiidy,* . . . . 

 Leverett Drown, . . , 

 Jamert E. White, . . . 

 liBverett Hrown, . . . 

 James R. Walker, . . , 

 C. W. Pulcifer, . . . . 

 C. & L. G.Ellis,. . . 

 C. & L. G. Ellis, . . . 



369 

 355 

 365 

 3-(0 

 360 

 360 

 370 



362 

 365 

 348 

 365 

 3H9 

 365 

 369 

 365 

 369 

 370 

 390 

 369 

 3ci5 

 366 

 335 

 365 

 329 

 375 

 375 



7.449 

 6.940 

 6 



4.C78 

 .055 

 .924 

 .8»7 



5.9.54 



6.0r)3 



4.915 



4,562 



4.522 



4.'.il8 



4.203 



3968 



3 832 



3.754 



3.390 



3.307 



6 304 



4.S 



4.312 



4.217 



4.021 



3.923 



3.741 



.0642 

 .0575 

 .0487 

 .0551 

 .0319 

 .0524 

 .0354 



.0991 

 .0599 

 .0622 

 .0773 

 .0729 

 .0551 

 .0618 

 .0813 

 .0723 

 .0825 

 .07 53 

 .C661 

 .1048 

 .0775 

 .0616 

 .0520 

 .0664 

 .0.^84 

 .0668 



f6.75 



63.51 



70.73 



64.58 



80 



57.82 



50.26 



39.42 

 46,39 

 55.35 

 49.30 

 63.49 

 59.S2 

 62.77 

 20.62 

 51.62 

 62.43- 

 58.68 

 47.76 

 39 84 

 47.05 

 62.74 

 57.82 

 51.66 

 48.86 

 51.25 



I 



The foregoing tabular statement embodies 

 the results of the scouring of twenty-six fleeces 

 of wool under the direction of the spirited ag- 

 ricultural society of the town of Springfield, 

 Vt., of which C. Horace Hubbard is President. 

 These sheep were publicly shorn April 25th, 

 under the superintendence of a committee 

 consisting of Hon. J. W. Colburn, Messrs. H. 

 M. Arms, B. F. Dana, aftSfl L. R. White. The 

 sheep were weighed to half a pound, and the 

 fleeces to half an ounce. The fleeces were 

 tied with a uniform quantity of twine, which 

 was included in the gross weight of the fleeces, 

 but not in that of scoured wool. Si.x of the 

 fletJCGS were scoured at the mill of Holmes, 

 Whittemore & Co., in Springfield, and the 

 other twenty at the mill of James Tilton, iii 

 Cavendish, and all under the immediate per- 

 sonal supervision of Henry M. Arms of the 

 committee, and were vm i form ly and thoroughly 

 cleansed, and carefully weighed. 



By way of explanation of the foregoing 

 table, the committee in their report, published 

 in the Country Gentleman, append the follow- 

 ing remarks : 



The first five fleeces in the ram list, and the 

 first twelve in the ewe list, (marked *,) are 

 from thoroughbred Spanish Merinos, the others 

 from grades. The weights of carcass, of 

 fleeces unwashed and scoured, are stated in 



pounds and ounces ; the other weights in 

 pounds and decimals. 



]t is found that the average shrinkage of the 

 Merino rams' fleeces, "shorn in the dirt," is 

 67 76-100 per cent., and of Merino ewes' 

 fleeces, is 51 32-100 per cent. ; that of grade 

 ewes' fleeces 52 25-100. 



For the purpose of showing to the Society 

 the relative character of its sheep for the pro- 

 duction of "real wool," we take the liberty to 

 compare a few of the fleeces with those of the 

 New York State Society, at Rochester, in 1866. 

 The heaviest ram's fleece of that Society is 

 6.653 pounds scoured wool. Wiley & Bos- 

 worth's fleece, above, is 7.449 pounds, and 

 Mr. Piper's, 6.91 pounds ; and Messrs. Locke's 

 is more than 47-100 of a pound heavier than 

 any of the 14 New York ram fleeces, with the 

 one exception above. ]\Ir. Hubbard's heavi- 

 est ewe fleece is 64-100 of a pound heavier 

 than any of the New York ewe fleeces. 



In analyzing the tables showing the product 

 of scoured wool in proportion to time of 

 growth and live weight, we find the greatest 

 weight of wool in a year by one pound of ani- 

 mal, at the New York shearing, to be .083 of 

 a pound. IMessrs. Ellis's fleece gives .088, 

 [.086 ?] , Mr. Hubbard's .099, and Mr. Brown's 

 . 104, [.106 ?] , or more than one pound of wool 

 to every ten pounds of carcass. 



In closing the report, we congratulate the 

 Society upon the result of this, our first, effort 

 in this direction. Comparing the weight of 

 our scoured fleeces with those of other socie- 

 ties, shows that the breeders of our town make 

 at least a respectable appearance. 



