ANSWERS TO. SHEEP INQUIRIES.—CHECK REINS, OR BEARING REINS. 
much m pushing forward the young turnip plant 
when this crop is raised by the aid of bones. 
Professor Johnston. 
ANSWERS TO SHEEP INQUIRIES. 
In the May number of the Agriculturist, you so¬ 
licit answers to various sheep inquiries. I with 
pleasure answer, as far as I can, respecting my flock, 
hoping many others will do the same.. 
I have 600 pure Merino sheep, including lambs. 
I purchased in Massachusetts ten years ago this sea¬ 
son, 111 full blood Merino ewes, descendants from 
Col. Humphrey’s imported flock from Spain. About 
40 of these ewes were at the time of purchase from 
twelve to fourteen years old, the lambs of imported 
ewes. They were good size, strong constitution, low 
on the leg, with broad chests, heavy necks and dew¬ 
laps, and heavy fleeces, soft and fine. 
In June, 1844, my brother A. L. Bingham and 
myself, purchased of the Shakers in Enfield, N. H., 
103 ewes with fleeces on. When we sheared them, 
we found they had very heavy fleeces of fine clean 
wool, and that they were well calculated to be pro¬ 
fitable sheep to wool growers and manufacturers. 
The September following, we went to Enfield and 
purchased the remainder of the flook which we di¬ 
vided from in June, numbering 58 ewes and 12 bucks. 
The sheep that I purchased at Enfield are descend¬ 
ants of Livingston’s importations. Elisha Ticknor, 
of Boston, bought of Mr. Livingston a part of his 
imported flock/and hired the Shakers at Enfield to 
keep them five years. Mr. Williams, of Hanover 
(a town adjoining Enfield), was employed by Mr. 
Ticknor, of Boston, to superintend his affairs in that 
section, and see that these sheep were kept pure. I 
have Mr. Williams’ certificate, certifying that the 
sheep were as pure blood as those imported by 
Livingston. I have also the fact from the Shakers, 
that the sheep 1 bought of them are as pure blood as 
those imported. They are what are called the Gua- 
daloupe. They are handsomely formed, of large size, 
hardy, and possessing great strength. I sold my 
brother, L. G. Bingham, 24 of those which I pur¬ 
chased in Enfield. William Little, a resident of Vir¬ 
ginia, recently from England, spent three or four 
months in examining the best flocks in the country, 
for the purpose of purchasing, bought 20 of my Gua- 
daloupe and 20 full blood Merino of my own raising. 
I have 53 Guadaloupe ewes and 50 lambs. 
My mode of management is this : I assort accord¬ 
ing to age and condition. The oldest by themselves, 
middle-aged, young ones, &c., into about nine differ¬ 
ent flocks, summer and winter. My hay is a mix¬ 
ture of timothy, and white and red clover. 1 feed 
from twelve to fourteen tons to 100 sheep, which is 
the principal feed, except for my stock bucks, oldest 
ewes, and weakest lambs, to which I feed a small 
quantity of roots, with mixture of corn cob meal. 1 
feed my sheep in the pure air, in racks, and have 
sheds to shelter them in case of storms. My ewes 
and rams commence breeding at two and three years 
of age. The general average of lambs I raise is 97 
to 100 ewes, Last year, I raised from 132 ewes, the 
same number of lambs. There were no twin lambs 
I put my buck with the ewes about the 1st 
December. I put the buck with the ewes about two 
hours each day, marking him on the brisket with red 
chalk, and then what ewes I find marked red I re¬ 
move before putting in the buck again. At the time 
of lambing they run in the pasture, taking care to 
have them skeltered in case of storm. The live 
weight of my bucks over one year old, is from 11 3 
to 145 lbs. The live weight of ewes from 85 to 13t 
lbs. Buck lambs four to four-and-a-half months old 
weigh from 50 to 70 lbs. I sheared last year 536 
fleeces, the average weight per fleece was 4 lbs. 14 oz. 
The sheep were washed in a stream of clean, running 
water. I commenced shearing four days after wash¬ 
ing. There were 51 yearling bucks, and 37 over 
one year old. The remainder of the flock consisted 
of stock ewes, one and two years old, and a few 
wethers. The average price of my wool last year 
was 46 cents per lb., with the exception of 334 lbs. 
of grade wool. 
There has been no disease among my sheep ex¬ 
cepting the grub in the head, which occasions more 
deaths among sheep in my opinion than any other 
disease. The following I consider a sure remedy. 
To 100 sheep 1^ lbs. Scotch snuff, mixed with four 
quarts of water. Throw it up each nostril by means 
of a syringe. This operation is performed by cutting 
a hole through a board large enough to admit the 
nose of the sheep, two-thirds of its length from the 
eyes. It keeps the head perfectly steady, so that 
there is no difficulty in performing the operation. 
The average weight of my wool per fleece this 
year, is 5 lbs 3 oz. It is still unsold. 1 sheared 
this year 587 fleeces. Merrill Bingham. 
Cornwall , Ft., Sept. 8, 1845. 
CHECK REINS, OR BEARING REINS. 
Of all the inventions ever made by man this is 
about the most useless, inhuman, and injurious. It 
never does good, but always injury. Its only object 
is to give the hea 1 and neck a lofty carriage. But 
this lofty carriage is merely for show ; it has no 
utility; and if it is the result of the check rein, the 
show is gained at the expense of useful facility of 
motion. A horse that will make a show in motion 
will carry his head full high without a check; he 
only needs it when standing. To such a horse the 
inhumanities of the check rein apply only when 
standing. But the most of horses of whom show is 
demanded, are required to stand whole hours. And 
how senseless men are in the use of the check rein ! 
The sam Q horse may be used for both the saddle and 
the carriage. In the carriage he is check-reined to 
make a show, and this folly no one thinks necessary 
when he is saddled. The beauty and safety of a 
carriage horse consists in his mouth. It should be 
sensitive, and the horse should press upon the bit. 
The check-rein deadens the moulh, and prevents the 
power of the horse from bearing on the driving rein. 
Tf the horse go slowly, he can carry his head somewhat 
high. If the pace be increased the head will be low¬ 
ered, and the faster the pace the lower the head will 
be carried. Indeed, a horse cannot go a rapid pace, 
whether trot or gallop, if he be checked up much, ahd 
if he be checked in the least, he cannot go his full 
pace. When a horse draws, he throws himself for¬ 
ward into the collar by lowering his head, and 
brings the weight of his body as well as the power 
of his muscles, to bear. This he cannot do if 
he be checked. Of course, the check-rein takes 
from the horse freedom in pace and power in 
draught, Tf the horse be checked very high, his 
