262 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Junk 



•WASHING SHEEP. 



The subject of washing sheep and putting up 

 wool for market was recently discussed by the 

 Westminster, Vt., Farmers' Club, and a report pub- 

 lished in the Bellows Falls Times. 



A. Atcherson, G. W. Newcomb, Henry Page, fa- 

 vored washing sheep, and thought by doing so 

 they obtained more money for their wool. 



F. Arnold, J. B. Morse, N. Fisher D. C. "Wright, 

 J. V. Farr, J. Phelps, recommended the abandon- 

 ment of the practice. 



Henry Page washes his sheep, and shears in four 

 to six days afterwards. He knew nothing of 

 shearing in the dirt. He thought the question of 

 ■washing or not washing depends mainly upon 

 the breed of the sheep one keeps. He would 

 wash as early as possible, and as the sheep come 

 from the water, would squeeze as much of the 

 water from the wool as possible, to lighten their 

 burden, and to enable them to dry sooner. 



Mr. N. G. Pierce, who did not express a positive 

 opinion either way, thought there was no doubt 

 that more money would be realized for the wool if 

 washed, as it is now sold, but he was inclined to 

 agree with those who estimated the damage to 

 sheep at half a dollar a head. He had made up 

 his mind either to shear early in dirt, or late and 

 wash well. Sheep with oily wool should not be 

 washed. Others were less injured by washing. 



J. B. Morse said he did not believe it is natural 

 for sheep to be put into the water. They hate the 

 sight of it. It injures them, and if sheared late, 

 they come up not looking as well in the fall, and 

 don't winter as well. He spoke of the trouble of 

 getting up and washing sheep in a busy time in 

 the season, and thought it would be better for all 

 to not wash ; less expense — more healthy — better 

 sheep— better wool. 



Nathan Fisher, for many years, washed his wool 

 well, bat the buyers would pay him no more than 

 they did others who washed poorly. But for sev- 

 eral years past he had sheared his wool in the dirt. 

 Shears some three weeks before turning away from 

 barn in spring. Their wool in that time starts, 

 and their bodies become felted over, shedding the 

 rain, and standing the storms almost as well as 

 those with wool upon them. One of his neighbors 

 sheared part of his flock in April and part in June. 

 The former stood spring rains best, and came to 

 the barn in the fall in much the best condition. 

 Sometimes he loses a few in spring, but seldom. 

 He understood that the manufacturers like the un- 

 washed wool quite as well. It is true that sheep 

 after they are sheared in spring will consume con- 

 siderable more hay. But he thought it much the 

 best way to shear in April, and in the dirt. The 

 buyers do not make the discount which they used 

 to, which was one-third, now in this section thirty- 

 three cents to forty. He believed he gets more 

 wool from unwashed sheep, for some will be lost 

 in the pasture. Wool will appear better when 

 protected from storms, and I think if all were in 



the habit of shearing in the dirt we should realize 

 more money. 



D. C.Wright thought it best to shear in April, un- 

 washed. He knew of an instance where two flocks 

 of sheep were out in a spring storm. One flock was 

 sheared about three weeks before, and the other 

 was with the wool on. The former stood the storm 

 best. The unsheared remained wet so long they 

 could not recover readily, and the early sheared 

 came to the barn in the fall in far the best condi- 

 tion. Manufacturers had told him that they pre- 

 ferred unwashed wool at one-fourth discount in 

 weight. 



In this discussion several members spoke of the 

 injurious effects of washing, on the health of 

 sheep; but no one alluded to its efiects on the 

 health of those who perform the operation. To 

 our own mina this is by far the most important 

 consideration. We believe that more colds, fevers, 

 consumptions, rheumatisms, &c., result from this 

 than from any other exposure to which farmers 

 are subjected, notwithstanding the free use of the 

 bottle of grog which, in our day, was always pro- 

 vided for the occasion. We do hope that the an- 

 nual ducking of men and sheep in the cold water 

 of our mountain streams in the spring of the year 

 will not be continued much longer. We believe 

 the wool can be cleansed at the mills much more 

 advantageously. 



AGRICULTURAL ITEMS. 



— America consumes nearly one-third of the 

 cofi"ee production of the world, and nearly seven 

 times as much as the inhabitants of Great Britain. 



— In one of the packing houses in Illinois, re- 

 cently, 480 hogs were slaghtered in one hour and 

 2680 in nine hours and ten minutes. 



— A correspondent of the Mirror and Farmer 

 mentions late cut hay as a cause ofcattle gnawing 

 boards and bones. 



— H. T. Gates, at New Worcester, has a turkey 

 that carries a feathered crest on its head, and when 

 it "gobble, gobble, gobbles," opens and sports it 

 like a peacock. It is a rare bird. 



— A correspondent of the New England Fab- 

 MEB., at Fishville, R. I., writes that wens on cattle 

 may be cured by washing them twice a day for a 

 few weeks with strong soft soap. 



—The Executive Committee of the Massachu- 

 setts Agricultural College have employed Mr. 

 John C. Dillon, of Weston, as Superintendent of 

 the Farm. 



— Brick-dust, obtained by rubbing two soft 

 bricks together, is the best remedy for lice on 

 stock, says a correspondent of the Western Rural, 

 that he ever tried. Sift the dust evenly over the 

 animal and work it well into and among the hair. 



— The Alta Calif ornian says that many grape 

 vines in that State grow to a great size. One at 

 Montecito, Santa Barbara county, now 74 years 



