148 
Saxon Sheep* 
rable a fabric as healthy wool; and I have 
been assured that it does not take colors in 
such perfection. In Germany this subject 
seems to be well understood, and the growers’ 
aim is to keep their sheep in thriving condi¬ 
tion, produce healthy wool, and meet the 
views of the manufacturer. And to this, in 
connexion with the art of dying, (I ought to 
say science of dying, for in a German woollen 
factory a dyer has got to have a good che¬ 
mical education, to understand the composi¬ 
tion of colors,) it is probably owing that the 
German cloths excel in fastness of colors. 
Ought not,then,every farmer to keep his sheep, 
for his own benefit as well as that of others, 
always in thriving condition I 
With regard to the weight of my animals 
and fleeces, I would say, that I weighed my 
heaviest Saxon ram on the morning when he 
was shorn, with his fleece on, and his weight 
was 144lbs. He is in fine condition, and I 
think when he gets his full growth, with good 
keeping, he will weigh between 154 and 
160lbs., and shear not less than 7 l-21bs. wool. 
Three other rams, of which one is a two-year 
old, weigh from 110 to 1281bs.; they were 
well kept through the past winter, better than 
the rest of my flock. I have several yearling 
rams which can be made to weigh l601bs. ; 
and I have known, in Germany, pure Saxony 
Merino rams attain a weight of 180 to 190 
and even 2001bs., and yield from 9 to lOlbs. 
of fine wool at a clip. The sheep, however, 
from which they were raised, were always in 
good condition, thus affording plenty of nou¬ 
rishment to the lambs from the beginning. 
I have known their fat wethers, four-years 
old, average between 20 and 251bs. per quar¬ 
ter, and shear 4 to 51bs. of fine wool per head. 
An uncle in Germany, who keeps a flock of 
between 3000 and 4000 sheep, some years 
since fatted 400 wethers which averaged 
221bs. per quarter, and sheared 4 l-4lbs. wool 
of eleven months’ growth, which sold for one 
rix dollar per lb. Two high grade Saxony 
wethers, three-years old past, were killed in 
an adjoining town in September last; their 
live weight was 145 and 1401bs., and their 
carcases 95 and 921bs., with no other feed 
but grass, but of this they had always an 
abundance. 
You see, from this, that with good keeping 
the Saxony Merino may be brought to attain 
a good weight. They are a fine-boned ani¬ 
mal, have an aptitude to fatten, and possess 
all the elements to make them as useful as 
can reasonably be desired, and there is no 
need of intermixing foreign blood. If they 
do not attain as large a weight of carcass as 
some other breeds of sheep, it must be borne 
in mind that they are smaller consumers, and 
yield a wool of far superior quality. I really 
believe there is a prejudice against them not 
well-founded in fact; and when they are 
rightly dealt by and justice done them, it will 
be found that they are the most desirable 
sheep for the American farmer, and will ul¬ 
timately prove of greater benefit to the coun¬ 
try than any other breed. 
About a year ago I travelled through the 
state of Ohio, and was surprised at the small 
number of fine sheep that are kept there. 
That state has advantages for keeping sheep, 
especially in the southern parts, which New 
England and the state of New York have not. 
Mildness of winter, and abundance and cheap¬ 
ness of feed, enable the farmer there to keep 
at least two sheep where but one can be kept 
in this region. The difference is even greater 
than that. A friend of mine, who purchased 
a small flock of me and took them to the 
centre of that state in 1837, informed me that 
the expense of keeping them was about fifty 
cents per head a-year. This I should think 
a pretty correct estimate. Produce is low; 
corn from 14 to 18 cents per bushel. I do 
not know of any stock it could be fed to at 
so much profit. Many sheep farmers in this 
region buy corn at 50 to 60 cents per bushel, 
and have found their account in it. I saw 
the little flock in question in the month of 
May, and found they had improved in size, 
and quantity of wool, averaging over 3 l-21bs. 
per head. I have no doubt that an average 
of 41bs. of fine wool may be obtained from 
them in a few years more. I am, very re¬ 
spectfully, your obedient servant, 
H. D. Grove 
Buskirks Bridge, Renselaer Co., N.Y., 
July, 1842. 
With the above letter Mr. Grove sent us 29 samples 
of Saxon wool, which we may safely pronounce unsur¬ 
passed by any in the world. A friend to whom we 
showed them exclaimed at once, they were cocoons; and 
we think the silk worms will have to take up another 
link in their spinning tubes to keep ahead of Mr. Groves’ 
sheep. Mr. G. who is a native of Germany, and fami¬ 
liar with Saxon sheep from childhood, is generally known 
as having imported the best animals of this breed ever 
brought into this country, having through his friends 
access to the choicest Electoral flocks. And they have 
not depreciated in-liis hands , for he is unquestionably one 
of the most accurate and intelligent wool growers this 
country contains. We hope to see his flock before our 
next number goes to press, and speak personally of their 
merits, as well as some other choice flocks we have in 
our eye. 
Mr. Grove has a few sheep for sale, which intelligent 
vvool growers would do well to secure for the improve¬ 
ments of their own flocks, for it is easier and cheaper U 
raise good wool than poor » 
