No. 4. 



AND GARD]:\ER'S JOUltNAL. 



(d3 



very cnsy to open nnil eliut. It is prefernblo to a 

 swing gnic in Ihc winter, in a drifted enow. I have 

 odoptcd the pinn iiiniiy yenrs nnd find it nnswers well. 



Protcctlti!; I''ruit Tiers. 



Build nciib round llieni, (dinwing in townrds the 

 top,) of any split firewood; three feet long will nn- 

 ewer the purpose, niul tlie wood will not be loal; 

 place something nt the top to keep the trees from cha- 

 fing. Such a frame will keep sheep or cattle from 

 injuring the trees. By keeping the land loose, the 

 ho; snn from injuring the bark, and the wind from 

 racking the trees, they will grow twice as Inst. 



J. SPRAGUE. 



Cliatauqua Co. Murck 1S40. 



Fvr Ihc Is'cw Gcuetec Farmer, 

 Merino Sheep. 



In answer to " jl Subscriber," who asks informn- 

 tioii respecting the Merino Sheep imported from Spain 

 by Col. Humphrey, ( t.ke the liberty of extracting the 

 fjUowiug from an Eseny on Sheep, by Robert K. Liv- 

 ingston, L. L. D. , President of the Society for the 

 Promotion of Uselal Arts, &.C., published, N. Y. 1809. 



" To Htimp/irci/ anil Livingston, their conntry is 

 indebted for that breed of sheep, which bears the ma- 

 terial for the finest i'abrics. The former by his 

 poetry, has placed himseli among the literary worthies 

 of his time, and by thsacthns rendered himself more 

 worthy of jjaetornl celebration than any swain of Arca- 

 dia. The latter had by his proiiciency in the law, 

 shown himself an upright and impartial Judge ; and 

 by this act has proved how deserving he was of the 

 honor of the wool-sack. 



The first animals of this race, were two pair bought 

 in France by Dr. Livingston, and sent to New York 

 under the care of one of his own servants, where they 

 nrrived in the spring of 1602. Afterwards he obtained 

 permission to ship others, chosen from the highest 

 bred flocks in that kingdom, by permission of the 

 minister of the home department. All these derived 

 their pedigree from the stock given by the Spanish 

 monarch to Louis 16lh, in 17S6. This royal donation 

 consisted of four hundred rams nnd ewes, assorted 

 from the best collections beyond the Pyramue ; and 

 were conducted to their new residence under the care 

 of Spanish shepherds. Afterwords, by the treaty of 

 Basle, five thousand Spnnisli sheep were introduced 

 by the governmenf and out of these national flocks 

 was formed, by eiillings and pickings, the famous flock 

 of Rambouillet. Mr. Humphreys obtained his sheep 

 direct from Spain. A numerous flock arrived in good 

 health at New York — the particulars of which we in- 

 sert from the report made by Eleazer Goodrich, Esq. 

 to the General Assembly of Connecticut, in October, 

 1803. This geiuleman and his colleague of the com- 

 mittee, state — That they have carefully investigated 

 the facts and connected the various subjects referred to 

 them: and take pleasure in observing, that Col. Hum- 

 phreys, while discharging the high and important du- 

 ties of his public station, availed himself of the facili- 

 ties which his ehaiaeter nnd acquaintance in the capi- 

 tals of Spain nnd Portugal afforded ; and in the year 

 one thousand eight hundred and t\vo, extracted from 

 Spain a chosen flock of one hundred sheep of the Me- 

 rino race. 



[Here follows a statement of the committee's of the 

 results of their exaniina;ion of these sheep, proving 

 their distinguished excellence, and adaptation to the 

 climate of this countrj', which general experience has 

 since fully corroborated. We deem it therefore un- 

 necessary to publish the statement. — Eds.] 



Spanish wool was first introduced into England in 

 the reign of Henry H, nt this time the best English 

 superfine broad cloths are chiefly made of Spanish 

 wool. 



There are two kinds of sheep in Spain distinguished 

 as the Migrator?/, and the Stationary sheep: — the 

 former are Merinos — they afford the most valuable 

 fleeces; and this superiority has been attributed to 

 Iheir being exposed to a more equal temperature, ran- 

 ging upon the northern mountains during summer, 

 and pasturing during winter, on the plains and valleys 

 of the S mth. Mr. Townsend states, that the wool of 

 the Merino sheep is worth about twelve pence a pound, 

 while that of tlie Stationary flocks sells only lor six- 

 pence; and that every sheep is reckoned to yield a clear 



profit often pence to the proprietor, after all expenses 

 are discharged. 



T nm yours, &e. 



E IluniriinEVs. 



Durham Cows, as Milkers. 



The following remnrks were made by Mr. Colninn 

 during a debate on the subject of Cattle, at an Agri- 

 cultural Meeting in Boston, a few weeks since: — 



" Mr. Column had not intended to enter upon this 

 dii-cnssion, but he felt it due to hisoflicial relation to 

 the farmers of Massachusetts, to say that he had Lad 

 the plcabiire of seeing improved Durham stock ot" the 

 Messrs. Lalhropa, ot South Hndley, and he thought 

 them eniineiitly beautiful, and evincing great skill and 

 care in their manngenient, on the part of those gentle- 

 men. He had seen many of the imported animals 

 throughout the country; and one of the herds import- 

 ed lor the Ohio Company, which he saw on their wny, 

 was truly splendid, and in beauty and perfection ol 

 form, far surpa-sed any thing which he had ever wit- 

 nessed. 



He must, however, in justice, add, that he yet want- 

 ed the proof of the Diirhum Short florns being the 

 best stock tiir our dairies. Seven of the race which 

 he had owned, some full and others half-blood, had 

 been inferior as milkers. The quantity of milk given 

 by many of the animals which he had seen, was re- 

 markable; the quality, in general, inferior; though 

 he had found some exceptions, ho bilieved, were neci- 

 dental. 



The Cheshire farmers, who wei-e as distinguished as 

 any in the country or in any country for the produce ol 

 their cheese dairies, preferred the native stock. From 

 a dairy of eighteen cows, an average of l)L!3 pounds 

 new milk cheese to a cow, in a yeor, had been obtain- 

 ed. He had challenged in writing and conversation 

 the owners of the Short Horns in the country to prove, 

 by actual experiment, the dairy properties of this 

 stock; and be would furnish of a hundred cows of our 

 native stock, which had made from twelve to fi^urteen 

 pounds of butler (jer week, thi'ough the season. He 

 was liir from having any prejudices against the Im- 

 proved Dnrhnms. Hewnsan enthusiaotic ndniirer of 

 them; but he wanted their dairy properties tested by 

 actual experiment. A very distinguished English for- 

 mer, Mr. Shirrer, who had made the tour of this coun- 

 try, expressed his regret at their introduction, and 

 pronounced thein in his book the poorest dairy stock 

 in England. We could not be said to have formed 

 any distinct race among ourselves, excepting the trials 

 made by Mr. Jaques, and a long-continued improve- 

 ment carried on in reference to milch cows, in another 

 part of the State, upon which he had reported. Much, 

 undoubtedly, yet remains to be done, but nothing in 

 this respect can be eiTected but by skill, extreme accu- 

 racy of observation, and long perseverance. 



Ho thought the Durhams not well adapted to the 

 scanty pastures nnd negligent habits of many of our 

 farmers. All high bred animals require particular care 

 and the most liberal feed. Two of the finest oxen 

 ever raised in the country were of tiiis stock. One, 

 it is believed, a full blood, from Greenland, N. H., 

 weighing over 3400 pounds, live weight; and one 

 a hnlf blood, raised in Clnremont, N. H., and sent 

 year before last to England, for exhibition. His live 

 weight was said to be 3701) pounds; and he was pro 

 nounced in England, by the best judges of stock, as 

 unrivalled for weight and thrift, and eminently well 

 formed. 



The best breeds would soon run out if negligently 

 or severely treated. This race were undoubtedly well 

 suited to the rich pastures and nbundiint products of the 

 West of Kentucky and Ohio. There they would 

 flourish. What might be done for our own stock by 

 more liberal keeping, was yet to be seen. He had 

 known a calf from a native C'lW, at f 'Ur moirtha old, 

 to weigh nearly 4 pounds ; and another, at five 

 months old, to weigh 01)0 pounds. If the improved 

 Durham stock should prove the best for ns, and he 

 kejrt bis mind on this subject ojien to conviction, we 

 could at once avail ourselves of the distinguished im- 

 provements of half a century's skill nnd toil and ex- 

 pense, so liberally bestowed in Englnnd. At any rnte, 

 the improvements which itey had nceomplished in 

 Englnnd, so obvious and imirressive to the most care- 

 less observer, rend a most important lesson to us, and 

 showed what might be done by skill nnd cnre, by ju- 

 dicious selection, by steady perseverance in n regular 

 system, and by liberal keeping; nnd presented, at the 

 some time, the most powerful motives to exertion and 

 enterprise in a brnneh of huobandry, acknowledged by 

 all to be of the first importance," 



Difl'erent Soils. 



" Soils. Every fnrmer should have some general 

 knowledge of soils, and be ncqiiainted with the nomro 

 of plnnts, so as to ndopt thoBe he cultivates lo the soil 

 ot his Inrm. This is an important branch of agii- 

 eiiltuinl knowledge; every plant will flourish best in 

 dint which is congenial with lis nntiiie; nnd if far 

 niers were ncqnnintcd with the nrt ol adopting plnnts 

 to soils, ninch manure might be saved; ^ome soils re- 

 quire little or no mnnuie to prow some kinds of 

 plants, wherens, to grow other kinds of plnnts upon 

 the snmc -oil, requires much maiinrc. "The best ra- 

 (Icx to the nature of soils, are the plants thnt grow 

 upon it; true, thi' chemist hns it in his power to deter- 

 mine the nntnre of soils without this niitmul index, 

 yet every Inrmer who knows the timber, underbrush, 

 nnd plants which a soil spontaneously produces, de- 

 cides at once^ipon its value for cultivation. 



The principal soils are silicia, snnd, or earth of 

 fiinls: lime, or calcnreoua earth; tilimtiiia, or clay; 

 magnesia, a mineral substance; with tluse lire iilcnd- 

 ed vegetable and animal matters m a decomposing or 

 decomposed stale, and saline, acid, ot alkaline combi- 

 nation. 



The nature ot silicia, or sand, is dry nnd hoi — alu- 

 minu, or clay, cold and wet — a projier mixture of the 

 two, improve both — nil experience shows thnt ninnu- 

 ring sandy Innds with clay, or clay lauds with sand, is 

 best Ibr grain or pulse. But it is not the best natural 

 soil that the farmer ought to consider, but the depth of 

 it. The farmer should never lose sight of these facts. 

 For if the richest toil is from four to six inches deep, 

 iinil lies on a cold, wet clay, or stone, it will not le as 

 fruitful ns n poorer soil, that is deeier, or lies upon a 

 better sirntum. It ib now generally agreed that gra- 

 vel, if imt loo compact, is the best substrutum to make 

 loud piolilic. 



We shall now attempt n plain description of the 

 different kinds of soils, by noticing their quality. We 

 shall begin wilh the best kinds of loams and natural 

 earths: these are either of a light brown, or hnzel col- 

 or; hence, sometimes called " hazel lunnis." They 

 cut smooth and tolerable ensy, without ndhering much 

 either to the spade or to the plough-shnie; nnd nre 

 light, friable, ^crnmbling,) and fall into smoll clods, 

 witliout cracking in dry weather, or turning into tough 

 mortnr when very wet. 



The next best are dark grey, or sometimes called 

 " riissel mould." But the worst of all nnturn' soils 

 are the light and dark colored. These clays may all 

 be known by the sight. There is, however, another, 

 and perhaps as equally sure a test of good cinys, as 

 thnt by sight — smelling nnd feeling. The best 

 kinds of clay emit n plensimt scent on being dug or 

 ploughed up, especially after rain; and being a just 

 proportion of sand and clay intimnt ly blended, or 

 mixed, will not stick much to the fingeis on linndling. 

 We w'ould however, remark, that the best soils in the 

 world mny be impoverished, nnd completely worn out 

 by an unjudieious succession of crops, and especially 

 ii the ploughings ai'e not frequently repeated before 

 the seed is sown. 



As said before, plants nre n good mrfcr to soils; for 

 we find, if we examine tracts of Innds not cultivated, 

 we mny also find thnt time hns adapted difltrent kinds 

 of plnnts to most of the distinguifhable vniieiics of 

 soils; nnd though some belonging to one mny, from 

 some cause or other, be found on Innds of a different 

 quality, they seldom thrive or perfect tueir seeds to as 

 to become general. The great cnre ol the fnrmer, 

 ought, therefore to be, by proper mixtures, to reduce 

 his land to that stnte and temperament, in which the 

 extremes of hot and cold, wet nnd dry, are best cor- 

 rected by each other; to give thenr every possible ad- 

 vantage flowing from the benign influences of sun nnd 

 nir; nnd to adopt such kinds of plnnts as tiiey nffirrd 

 in this stnte, the gieotest nourishn.ent to; nnd 

 to renew their fertility by n judicious nlUnvnuce of the 

 most proper manures. When tluse things are done, 

 there are fewspots so unfriendly to cultivation. as not to 

 repay his expenses and labor, with a plentiful increase. 

 But without these, the best of land will, in time, be- 

 come a barren waste, or produce little but weeds."— ' 

 Practical Farmer. 



Pmjing for Luxuries. — The Packet Ship Albany, 

 from New York for Hnvre, took out )gl-50,000 in 

 specie. So much for an article, that might ns well be 

 produced in this country, employing our own labor 

 and eapitnl, nnd furnishing n ranrket at home for our 

 agriculturnl productiona. 



The nnnual amount of cheese sold in Cincinnati, ia 

 estimated at 900 tons for the last six year*. 



