THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. 



CJ^ §xmtx. 



IiODg-wooled Sheep for Mutton. 



MEESne. EpiTons — In my former articles in the 

 Country Gcntlemnn, I gave the result of nn cxpori- 

 mont in regard lo the comparative eoneuniing qualities 

 of the New Oxfordsliire and Merino slieop ; also a 

 cheap and easy method of obtaining a good flocii of 

 mutton sheep, i)y crossing the long or middle wooled 

 on the Merino or common sheep of the country. The 

 success which has attended the introduction of the Now 

 Cvfoid sheep among the farmers in this vieiuity, as 

 well as the satisfactory rej^ult attending tho crossing 

 them with our Merino stock, induce me to give your 

 readers some facts and observations which may prove 

 both profitoble and interesting. In giving an account 

 of the habits and qualities of these sheep, I bavo 

 always endeavored to deal faiily, both with them and 

 the public, preferring to give facts drawn from experi- 

 ence, rather than theories without a foundation on 

 which to base them. 



Through the medium of the agricultural press, I 

 hope many of our New England farmers will be per- 

 suaded to cultivate a good breed of mutton sheep, feel- 

 ing confident that it is better business than to depend 

 mninly on tho fleece for profit. For three years past I 

 have furnished one of my neighbors with a buck to 

 make a cross on his Merino owes. The following is the 

 I'jss and gain attending the first cross. As near as could 

 be judged by the weight and sale of the first clip of 

 wool, the value wms diminished twenty cents to the 

 fieece. Tho average weight of the sheep in the fall, 

 after they were one year old, wos 87 lbs., making the 

 whole flock, both ewes and wethers, equal in weight 

 and desh to his best lot of full-grown Merino wethers, 

 besides a gain of over two dollars a head on the value 

 of the sheep. They are, except in fleece, every way 

 more detiirablo, and excel, for profit, our best Merinos. 

 The lambs are raised with lew care and expense ; they 

 are more quiet, better breeder.^, good nurse?, and when 

 raised are such sheep as find a ready sale. 



In the fall of 1853 I sold my brother one old ewe 

 weighing 130 lbs., and a small ewe lamb weighing 62 

 lbs. The next year ho received from the flock of John 

 T. Andrew, Esq., West Cornwall, Ct., another ewe 

 which weighed 128 lbs. These two ewes have been fed 

 some kind of grain from the time they dropped their 

 lambs, about the middle of March, until they were 

 turned to grass. With this exception, these sheep both 

 old and young, were kept for two years strictly on hay 

 and grass. At the end of the two years the old ewe 

 weighed 188 lbs. ; the lamb now two years and nine 

 months old, 192 lbs , and the second ewe bought, 164 

 lbs., making a gain of 224 lbs., or what would be equal 

 to 45 pounds on one sheep for a year. The two old 

 aheep in tho time raised four lambs, whoso average 

 weight at seven months old was 94 lbs., making 376 

 lbs. The average weight of their fleeces was a little 

 Over 7 lbs. Wo find the loss on this wool in scouring 

 It for tho carding machine to be 29 per cent., which 

 deducted from its present weight leaves a fraction over 

 5 lbs. to the fleece, of well scoured wool. 



The income on these sheep, valuing the wool at 30 

 cents per pound, the gain on tho ewes, and the weight 

 of the lambs at 6 cents a pound, a price the butchers 

 paid at that time for extra fat Merino sheep, would be 

 346.50, or nine dollars and thirty cents for the keeping 

 of one ewe a single year, and the summer keep of her 

 lamb. 



The following notice ot a sheep broker's sale, which 

 I find in a Feb. number of the New-York Tribune, 

 shows the value of these sheep when fatted for tho 

 market : 



" The greatest sale this winter, was made by Kiohard 

 II. Sherman at Allerton's of three long-wooled sheep 

 for S22 each. They were fatted by Ab. Burton of 

 Dutr>iess county, and weighed 200 lbs. each, live 

 weight. These are the right kind of sheep for profit 



to the feeder and consumer, though too fat lo suit the 

 common taste for lean meat.'* 



It requires no extra eflfort to bring o good New-Ox- 

 fordshire sheep to the weights hero mentioned at two 

 and a half or three years old. The lamb I sold my 

 brother, at two years and nine months old, came within 

 eight pounds and the old ewe within twelve pounds of 

 the two hundred, with but very little bcfidcs good bay 

 and grass, and within the time raised two lambs which 

 together weighed over two hundred pounds more Four 

 ewes of this flock, being all that were old enough, bare 

 borne seven lambs this season. The largest is now 

 three months old, and weighs 70 pounds. 



Since I commenced breeding these sheep, they have 

 lacked but one of bearing three lambs for every two 

 e*os. The average weight of my entire flock of lost 

 year's lombs was 82 lbs. on the 17lh day of Septem- 

 ber. At that time I commenced selling. I should 

 judge by the weight of some I sold about the 1st of 

 December, that they would have averaged 90 lbs. if 

 they had been kept until «bat time. Lawuence 

 Smith, West Worthington, Mass. 



Diseases of Animals— Neglected Opportunities. 



Meesbs. EniTons-In accordance with the views 

 presented in an article entitled, — Comments, Inquiries, 

 Suggestions, (J-c.,— in your paper of June 12th, we 

 propose to note down, in the briefest form possible, some 

 of the thoughts which occur to us when reading and 

 listening to the communications and conversation of 

 others, and also some of the more note-worthy state- 

 ments made at club and other meetings of those engo- 

 ged in the cultivation of the soil. Without any farther 

 preface we commence the experiment we have under- 

 taken, that, namely, of endeavoring to collect some of 

 the more valuable portion of the every-day thinking 

 and talking within our limited sphere of ob.<ervation, 

 for the consideration and profit of your wide circle of 

 readers. Wo trust feverol rnoy follow tho example, 

 and pick up and preserve for the benefit o( us all what- 

 ever may seem worth preserving within the circle of 

 one's own thoughts or of talks with neighbors. In 

 every such circle, however small or barren, an idea, 

 fact or opinion might every now and then bo picked 

 up, which would be of value to hundreds or thousands 

 if given to the press to present and preserve for public 

 use. 



We were considerably interested in the communica- 

 tion of Dr. Cuming, in your paper of June 12th, and 

 were much pleased when we read your request that ho 

 should become a more frequent contributor to tho vete- 

 rinary department of your paper. As Dr. C.'s remarks 

 give evidence of his possessing the two most important 

 qualifications for a physician, whether his patients are 

 of the human or the brute species, namely, a large 

 amount of professional information and groat sound- 

 ne.ss of judgment, wo trust your readers will not unfre- 

 quently have an opportunity of improving themselves 

 in the proper treatment of their animals by his prac- 

 tical suggestions. Let any one try to reckon up tho 

 number of deaths among animals of all kinds, within 

 a circle of a few miles around his residence, and within 

 a few years, and also the number of anjmals who have 

 suffered or been sick, but not unto death, and he will 

 be convinced that if those who own and have the care 

 of tho various domestic animals, had more knowledge 

 of the right mode of managing, so as to -prevent dis- 

 ease as well as to cure it, there might be a great deal 

 less loss of life and property, and a great deal less suf- 

 fering among the useful animals which Providence has 

 made dependant upon us for comfort and proper care. 

 Perhaps there could be no better way of securing an 

 increase of this useful kind of knowledge, than to pre- 

 sent actual cases of disease, both present and past, and 

 to solicit information as to tho proper mode of manage- 

 ment should the ailment continue, or should it ever again 

 occur. If those who have lost valuable animals, or 

 have at ony time sickness or lameness among their 

 stock, would describe the symptoms of the case, they 

 might receive tho benefit of the skill of Dr. C, or of 



tome one else who has made the diseases of domestic 

 animals their particular study, so as to be better pre- 

 pared for the present or any future ailment among 

 their creatures. 



We have often been surprised that so mony neglect 

 opportunities within their reach, of adding to their 

 supplies of fertilizing materials. Many allow sods and 

 slops, poultry. house droppings, and many other mnnu- 

 rial matters to go to waste. But we have in view, at pre- 

 sent, mainly, those who neglect to secure a load every 

 now and then of leached nsbcs, spent tan, sawdust, 

 Ac, nhen passing piles of these with nn empty wagon. 

 About every village almost, these things could be had 

 gratuitously, ond yet hundreds return from the villoge 

 with their wagons empty, who might add considerably 

 to tho productiveness of their fields by a few minutes' 

 labor in loading them with some of these easily-to-bc- 

 had articles, e. d. 



To Divest Calves of Vermin. 



It often happens that calves become covered with 

 vermin, causing them to lose flesh and look very dull. 

 To clean the calf is o very disagreeable piece of work ; 

 but if the following recipe is adhered to, they will be- 

 come clean with a very little trouble. Give the calf a 

 tablespoonful of brimstone three mornings in succes- 

 sion ; if one trial docs not completely rid the calf, the 

 second will never fail. I have tried it several times, 

 and once has been enough in each instance. 



€liB /Inrist. 



The Sensitive Vlaiii.— (Acacia Mimosa ) 

 In its native country, (BniziJ,) tbis singular plant 

 grows to the height of ^even or eight feet, and is 

 armed with short recurved thorns; the leaves grow 

 upon long footstiilks, which are prickly, each sujtain- 

 ing two pair of wings ; from the place whore these are 

 inserted, come out fmnll brnnchcF, having threo or 

 four globular heads of pale purplish flowerf, coming 

 out from the side on short peduncles. " Naturalists," 

 says Dr. Darwin, '* have not explained the immediate 

 causes of the collapsing of the sensitive plant; the 

 leaves meet and close in the night, during the Meep of 

 the plant, or when exposed to too much oold in the day 

 time, in the some manner as when they are affected 

 by external violence, folding their upper surfaces to- 

 gether, and in part over each other, like scales or tiles, 

 so as to expose as little of the upper surface as may be 

 to the air ; [many of the acncins do this which itre 

 not otherwise sensitive ;] but do not, indeed, collapse 

 quite so far, for when touched in the night, during 

 their sleep, they fall still farther ; especially when 

 touched on the footstalks between the stem and the 

 leaflet?, which seem to be their roost sensitive or 

 irritable part. Now as their situation, after being ex- 

 posed to external violence, resembles their sleep, but 

 with a greater degree of collapse, may it not be owing 

 to a numbness or paralysis consequent on too violent 

 irritation, like the faintings of animals from pain or 

 fatigue 1 A sensitive-plant being kept in a darli room 

 till some hours after day-break, its leares and leaf- 

 stalks were collapsed as in its most profound sleep, and 

 on exposing it to tho light above twenty minutes pnssed 

 before the plant was thoroughly awake and had ex- 

 panded itself. During the night the upper surfaces of 

 the leaves are oppressed ; this would seem to show 

 that the office of this surface of tho leof was to expose 

 the fluids of the plant to tho light, as well as to the 

 air." If kept in the dark it fails to expnnU during the 

 entire day. Although ensily grown by every one, 

 simply requiring to be treated as a tender annual, 

 there is no plant we grow requiring so little trouble, 

 that excites such a lively interest, and been seen by so 

 few people, as this sensitive plant. Dr. Darwin thus 

 characterises this plant in verso : 

 '* Weak with nice sense, the chnste Mimosa* stand?, 

 From each rude touch withdraws her timid hands; 

 Oft as light clouds o'erpnss the summer glade, 

 Alarm'd, she tremble." at the moving shade ; 

 And feels alive through all her tender form, 

 The whisper'd murmurs of the gathering storm 

 Shuts her sweet eye-lids to approaching night, 

 And hails with freshen'd charms the rising light. 



• Formerly called Mimosa. 



