414 APPENDIX. 



TiETTER FROM JOHN H. EWING, OF WASHINGTON, PERW. 



Dear Sir, — Your favor was duly received, from which I was 

 pleased to learn that you were engaged in the preparation of a 

 work on sheep husbandry ; one much needed by the wool-grower, 

 and of great importance to the country generally, as comparative- ' 

 ly little is known on the subject. Wool-growing must, in time, be- 

 come the great business of this country, possessing as we do all 

 the facilities to produce an article as cheap in time as any other 

 country, our climate, soil, and mountains being favorable for "the 

 business ; nothing, therefore, but a home market is wajflld to in- 

 duce oTir people to engage largely in it, and shortly not only sup- 

 ply home demand, but furnish large quantities for exportation 

 * * » ■ « « » « 



But I must return to your inqtiiries, and endeavor to impart, as 

 far as experience will warrant, my knowledge of wool-growing. 



I have been engaged in the business about twenty years, and 

 have given it -my personal attention. My flock exceeds two 

 thousand, and partake more of the Saxon than Merino character, 

 as well the most of the flocks in this section of country ; and yet 1 

 am inclined to think the most of the original stock was of Merino 

 blood. But many of the flocks have been formed by crossing with 

 the native sheep, and by close attention for a series of years have 

 become very good, and will generally pass for fuU-blood Merino. 

 Shortly after the introduction of the Merino sheep in this country, a 

 few enterprising individuals, namely, the late William Hoge, 

 James Gilmore, and others, commenced the business, which was' 

 afterwards much improved by Wm. Brownlee, and the late 

 Alexander Reed, and some others. But of those most distinguish- 

 ed for their efforts, Messrs. WeUs and Dickinson of Steubenville, 

 Ohio, are entitled to the greatest credit ; they made great prog- 

 ress in wool improvement, and spent a fortune to accomplish 

 their purpose, and establishing its manufacture. After a series of 

 reverses, th^y finally failed, to the great regret of all who knew 

 them. Upon the sale of their flock, I became the ptirchaser of a 

 thousand, from which my stock has been formed ; and notwith- 

 standing they were originally from the best imported stock, and 

 the greatest care and attention given-^;o their improvement for 

 many years, and since by myself, there is still much to be done. 

 Nothing, indeed, is more difficult than the making of proper selec- 

 tions of such as produce wool desirable to the manufacturer, and 

 at the same time profitable to the wool-grower. Again, in the 

 selection of breeders, the peculiar character of the stock will be 

 carried down for generations; hence the selection of good bucks 

 is aU-important. There ought, in all cases, to be three bucks to 

 the hundred ewes, otherwise the bucks will be more or less injured. 



It is desirable that the lambs should not drop before the middle 

 of April, and on until the middle of May, at which time the grass 



