AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 377 



It is a great absorber of noxious gases, that render stables and 

 sinks unliealtliy. It is a most important aid to tlie farmer. 



Solon Robinson — One of the most important questions of the 

 day has lately been called to my attention, in conversation with a 

 gentleman, who speaks from the book — the cash-book — wiio states 

 to me, tliat he is confident that he can raise more pounds of merino 

 wool, such as sold the last season at fifty cents a pound, and more 

 pounds of mutton per acre of that breed, than of the long-wooled 

 variety. Now, as I know that the statement from the gentleman 

 himself will be interesting to the Club, I again call upon Mr, 

 Geddes. 



Mr. Geddes — Such wool as I produce is not the very finest, but 

 the real merino sheep, that produce four to five pounds per liead, 

 such as I sold at fifty cents of the last clip. The result of my 

 experience is, that I can produce more pounds per acre than with 

 the Cotswold variety. A small sheep lives upon less forage than 

 large ones. Tlie rule is about two and a half per cent, of the 

 weight of slieep per day of hay. In summer the land will carry 

 more weight of small sheep on an acre than of coarse wool sorts. 

 Such a sheep as I like, grows the wool so compact, that it cannot 

 be grasped on the back so as to hold the sheep. I can pick such 

 a sheep as I most esteem, in the dark, by the feeling. The wool 

 feels almost as firm on the back, as a board. This class of sheep 

 live better through a drouth than the larger variety; and I have 

 no doubt through a series of years can produce more pounds of 



mutton per acre of this breed — that is, the Vermont merinos 



than I could with Cotswold sheep. I calculate that my sheep 

 weigh one hundred pounds each, when they go into winter quar- 

 ters; and that they shall go to pasture in the spring of greater 

 weight than they came from it in the fall. I suppose, as Mr. 

 Rolnnson says, that these sheep would dress fifty pounds each. 

 Sucli sheep as mine are usually estimated at tlie rate of three per 

 acre. That is, a tarm of one hundred acres, that grows perhaps 

 ten acres of corn and family vegetables, with pasture and mowing- 

 proportioned to the stock, will carry one hundred head of sheep, 

 with the family cow and necessary team. 



