ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOOL. 
149 
If it be an essential irreplaceable ingredient, as phos¬ 
phoric acid is in the seeds of wheat and corn, it is 
readily seen how Franklin’s selection of clover 
may have been peculiarly happy. I do not pretend 
to say that it is indispensable. A series of experi¬ 
ments only could settle such a question. 
The large proportion of carbonic acid is particu¬ 
larly worthy of attention. Comparing it with the 
sum of all the other acids—the phosphoric, sulphu¬ 
ric, silic, and hydrochloric (of which the chlorine 
is given)—we see how far it exceeds them. Again, 
looking at the per cent, of bases, we see how very 
large the proportion when compared with the sum 
of the inorganic acids. This surplus of base was 
most of it united to organic acids. These, in the 
burning of the plant, have been destroyed. Their 
place has been wholly, or for the most part, taken 
by carbonic acid. Here is nearly 23 per cent, of 
carbonic acid. In an analysis of the ashes of 
sugar cane made at Giessen last summer, there was 
not a trace of carbonic acid. Such is the differ¬ 
ence. In the sugar cane the per centage of silica 
was large. Timothy grass ashes gave also no 
carbonic acid, but a large per cent, of silica. 
The moisture of green clover amounts to 83.55 
per cent., and the clover contained sugar, a body 
capable of fermentation. What hints do these 
facts furnish to the farmer ! If the clover be taken 
to the mow with this quantity of water, the water 
will furnish the means of that intestine motion 
among the constituents of the plant held in solution 
in the fibres of the stems and leaves, which is ne¬ 
cessary to fermentation ; and not only will the 
sugar be lost, but vinegar will be formed, souring 
the whole mass, and rendering it unpalatable to 
stock. If it be properly dried, the sugar as such 
will remain in the vegetable fibre, and go to nourish 
the stock, furnishing to horses, cattle, and sheep, 
an element whose combustion serves to keep them 
warm and furnish fat. (a) 
But again—• 
The leaves contain 10.69 per cent, of ashes. 
The stems contain 8.52 “ “ “ “ 
Now as the inorganic matters are more or less ser¬ 
viceable in the animal economy, the leaves, contain¬ 
ing most of them, should be carefully preserved; 
and as the ashes of the whole plant, including the 
head, have 11.18 per cent, of ashes, it is clear that 
the pieservation of the heads and leaves is deci¬ 
dedly more important than the stems. Hence the 
farmer cuts the clover, and instead of drying it in 
the sun, cocks it for a few hours, so that the vapor 
evolved from within, in the process of drying, shall 
keep the stalks and leaves without from becoming 
too suddenly dried and unnecessarily brittle. 
In closing, I will state one of the results to which 
the experiments of Prof. Liebig are daily leading. 
In the spring preceding my arrival at Giessen, 
Liebig planted some grape scions under the win¬ 
dows of the laboratory. He fed them with the 
ashes of grape vines, or the proper inorganic food 
of the grape, as shown by analysis of its ashes. 
The growth has been enormous, and several of the 
vines bore large clusters of grapes in the course of 
the season, and all may have, as I did not particular¬ 
ly observe them until the grapes were gathered. The 
soil is little better than a pavement—a kind of fine 
gravel, in which scarcely anything takes root. 
There are pots of wheat in different stages of then 
growth, that have been fed variously—some upon 
the inorganic matters they require, according to 
analysis of their ashes—others have had merely 
the food which is furnished by the soil. The re¬ 
sults in numbers are not yet known, but from ap¬ 
pearance we may readily judge what may be 
expected. 
I may mention in this connection, that I gave to 
Prof. Liebig five varieties of American corn, all of 
which were planted, but not one of which came to 
maturity, though the first frost in Giessen was 
about the 20th of October. The climate is essen¬ 
tially different from ours. The heat of our summer 
is more intense. 
The experiments of Prof. Liebig, mentioned 
above, are full of interest, not alone as sustaining 
the views he has advanced, but also as showing 
that the treasures in the shape of inorganic ma¬ 
nures, heaped up in some quarters of the globe, 
may be made to equalize the fruits of labor in other 
regions. E. N. Horsford. 
(a) The discussion between Dumas and Liebig, 
relative to the formation of fat from sugar, has been 
settled in favor of the latter, by a repetition on the 
part of Dumas, of experiments made several years 
since by Liebig. 
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 
I am a wool-grower in the . State of Ohio, and 
being a great admirer of sheep, I have been very 
desirous of ascertaining whether there are not modi¬ 
fications of the American Argali , or the Rocky 
Mountain sheep, to be found among the native 
tribes of Indians, inhabiting the country bordering 
on that range. Capt, De Bonneville, and other 
travellers, speak of the Argali as being found in 
great abundance from the 50th degree of north 
latitude, down to California; and though their meat 
is said to be very tender and good, as they mostly 
frequent the lofty summits, inaccessible to man, 
they in a great measure escape the vigilance of the 
hunters, and must be very numerous. In this effort 
I have been unable to discover any sheep among 
the tribes, which were not originally taken from 
east of the Mississippi river, except in one case, 
and that a very interesting one. This tribe is 
called the Navahoe, and live about 300 miles north 
by west from Santa Fe. They inhabit what is 
called a gorge, in the Rocky Mountains, into 
which there is but one narrow winding passage, 
which they defend from intrusion with the utmost 
bravery; and having been really independent, they 
appear to have made more effort to add to their 
comforts than the other tribes around them. No 
white man has ever visited their residence, and 
it is said no Indians, except fur traders of the Dela¬ 
ware tribe, who are a very daring and enterprising 
race of people. These traders describe their 
houses—that they raise a great many sheep and 
cattle—have a large quantity of arable land, and 
cultivate it-—have some knowledge of the arts, 
which they discover by the blankets which they 
make and sell in the market of Santa Fe. 
These blankets are made from a very superior 
kind oi wool, which they raise. It is said by those 
who have seen them, to be very fine, soit, and 
