170 



THE SOUTHE 



RN PLANTER. 



Mr. Flieschmann said that there were 

 many erroneous notions in this country 

 in regard to the fineness of wool, and in 

 Europe they had different views of what 

 constitutes fineness. In Silesia is the 

 finest wool in Europe. Saxony does not 

 now produce the finest wool. Silesia has 

 obtained the golden fleece of Spain. This 

 superiority has been obtained by forty 

 years of care and attention. It was their 

 object to furnish such a wool as the manu- 

 facturer desires. The wool of the Merino 

 sheep of Silesia produces wool equally 

 'fine in all parts from the neck to the ex- 

 tremities. This was not so in other parts 

 of Germany. Great care is taken in 

 Taising sheep. They are not exposed to 

 the rain, but are taken up and put in sta- 

 bles when it rains. The rain mashes the 

 dust into the wool and rots it. Great 

 'Care is taken in the selection of rams and 

 •ewes for breeding. There are persons 

 who make it their particular business to 

 make these selections, and the rams and 

 ewes are all numbered and registered. — 

 The lambs are in like manner numbered 

 and registered. The most perfect only 

 are kept for breeding. 



The feeding there is different from what 

 it is among us. There, breeding and farm- 

 ing is made a science. The whole eco- 

 nornyof farming there, is studied in schools 

 as a science, and is carried to great per- 

 fection. The sheep are well and regu- 

 larly fed. They have a mode of feeding 

 for each month. In January, the breed- 

 ing flock is fed in the following manner: 

 In the morning, one pound sain foin (good 

 hay) is given to each sheep — they are 

 watered at nine o'clock j at ten, half pound 

 of hay, second quality — two o'clock, ditto; 

 at three, watered ; and in the evening, one 

 pound mixed hay. They are kept at 

 nearly a uniform temperature — 60 degrees 

 of Fahrenheit, and below. If the tem- 

 perature be kept too high, the lambs will 

 die. In February for coupling rams: in 

 the morning, one pound oats and vetches 

 mixed ; at ten, half pound of hay, second 

 quality; 1, half pound sainfoin; at 3, 

 water; at 4, six sheaves oats half-threshed ; 

 and in the evening, twenty pounds winter 

 straw for picking, to one hundred head of 



sheep. In March, the regimen is the 

 same, with the exception of watering at 

 four, instead of three o'clock. In April, 

 for coupling bucks; first, one pound sain 

 foin ; at 8, water and straw again ; at 

 11, half pound first quality hay; at 2, 

 half pound ditto; at 4, water; at 6, five 

 sheaves oats half-threshed, and twenty 

 pounds summer straw, per one hundred 

 head of sheep. For lambs, half pound 

 hay, first quality ; at 8, water in the stall ; 

 at 9, to each one hundred head, six half- 

 measures of oats; at 11, half pound of 

 lucerne (a grass resembling clover;) at 2, 

 one pound ditto; at 4, water; at half 

 past 4, to each hundred head, six mea- 

 sures of oats ; at half past 5, half pound 

 of oats and vetches mixed. In May, the 

 pasture season commences. At the hot 

 hour of noon, they are led into the stalls, 

 and are carefully sheltered from the sun, 

 and in wet weather, cut chaff is given, 

 with lucerne. In November the stall feed- 

 ing commences, as has been described. — 

 The climate is not as hot in summer in 

 Silesia as here. The Arch Duke of Aus- 

 tria, viceroy of Hungary, had one of the 

 finest flocks of Merino sheep in Europe. 

 His shepherds or superintendents are all 

 educated at the agricultural schools, and 

 conduct every thing in the most perfect 

 and scientific manner. The wool of his 

 sheep is not the first but of the middling 

 fine quality. He has obtained some of 

 the finest results of breeding — results not 

 before obtained. Saxony formerly had 

 the highest reputation, and a great call 

 had been made on Saxony for sheep for 

 breeding, but she had sold her worst sheep 

 and kept the best for herself. In the es- 

 tablishment of Hungary the wool in 1838 

 sold at 75 cents per pound. The wool is 

 of unusual thickness. Great regard is 

 had to the purity of the race. The per- 

 fect heads are kept for breeding. Tables 

 are kept in which the father and mother 

 are registered, with specimens of their 

 wool, and their offspring are also regis- 

 tered. The rams and ewes are not per- 

 mitted to couple until the age of tw r o 

 years and a half, and this takes place in 

 July and August. They are allotted to 

 each other according to their fitness to 



