THE BEST SHEEP COUNTRY.—VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PAPERS, ETC. 
179 
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clean. Opposite the spring-house, at the distance 
of a few feet, there is a cleaning-house 19 by 13 
feet, where the churns, &c.. are scalded and wash¬ 
ed, in which is a copper caldron, and a stream of 
water runs through it constantly. Next to this 
there is a scouring and polishing-room 22 by 20 
feet, and here the utensils are prepared to receive 
the milk. 
If you should ever visit Philadelphia again, I 
shall be happy to see you, and show you many 
things which I can not now mention. If, howev¬ 
er, I have engaged your attention thus far, or ren¬ 
dered you any service, I will consider myself amply 
rewarded. 
Henry Chorley. 
Falls of Schuylkill, Feb. 6, 1844. 
THE BEST SHEEP COUNTRY. 
Your correspondent Americus. asks, “ Where is 
the best sheep country ?” One answers in Ken¬ 
tucky, another in Louisiana, and a third in Iowa 
Territory. I am satisfied that Iowa Territory pos¬ 
sesses peculiar advantages with regard to sheep¬ 
farming. Thousands of sheep may be fed upon 
our prairies through the summer, and kept at a 
comparatively trifling expense through the winter, 
to the advantage of the wool-grower. As an ex¬ 
ample, I would refer to the flock of Mr. Moloy of 
this county, consisting of about 700 fine-wool sheep. 
They are turned out to feed upon the prairie, at¬ 
tended by the faithful shepherd-dogs by day, and 
guarded by them in pens by night during the-sum¬ 
mer ; in winter they are kept in appropriate pens 
with sheds, and fed with corn, oats, hay, and fod¬ 
der produced by sowing corn broad-cast, &c., all 
of which our soil produces in large quantities at a 
small expense. It is a healthy country for sheep, 
as experience shows, from the rapid increase of 
the little flocks which almost every farmer keeps 
for his own domestic covennience, in connexion 
with the fact that disease is seldom known among 
them. Sheep-husbandry is becoming a branch of 
considerable interest among us. Several large 
flocks are kept in this county; the Messrs. Kil- 
bournes have 1100 sheep, 600 of them full-blood 
Merinos, driven from Ohio last summer, and all 
doing well. Cattle of the improved breeds are 
very numerous here. Mr. Josiah Henkle has some 
of the finest Durhams and Herefords that I have 
seen. The Berkshire, Irish, and Russia hogs are 
also very numerous among our improved breeds. 
Iowa Territory is of a rich fertile soil. The 
rapid improvements which have been made with¬ 
in a few short years and are still making, show 
that it is settled by an industrious and enterprising 
peopie. Agricultural societies have been formed, 
and exhibitions held in this and other counties. I 
was informed that some very fine specimens of 
fruit were exhibited at the show of the Yan Buren 
County Agricultural Society, held at Keosauqua 
last fall. Some interest is manifest with regard to 
the silk culture here ; several of our neighbors have 
fine lots of the Morus Multicaulis mulberry; silk¬ 
worms also have been fed, and silk manufactured 
to some extent. Wheat, rye, corn, oats, barley, 
hemp, flax, &c., grow luxuriantly here; cotton has 
been cultivated as an ornament in gardens, and 
grows to perfection. Jeremiah F. Hunt. 
Lee County , Iowa , Feb. 6, 1844. 
VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PAPERS. 
I have been a subscriber to agricultural papers 
for more than 20 years, and have paid for them 
over $100; and though I cultivate but a small 
farm, I am fully convinced that I have never laid 
out money, as a farmer, that has yielded me the 
same interest as that invested in the purchase of 
these valuable journals. It is not that a farmer 
can in such works learn everything he may want 
to know, or that he will be told everything that 
relates to his every-day business; but one of the 
greatest advantages to be derived from their pe¬ 
rusal, is, the turning the mind to reflection—the 
cautions given—the suggestions hinted at—and the 
general principles inculcated. 
Alexander McDonald. 
Eufaulla, Ala., March 2, 1844. 
A NEW VARIETY OF SPRING-WHEAT. 
There exists in this section of country a new 
variety (at least so considered here) of spring- 
wheat. The article was imported here a few 
years since from France, by a native of that coun¬ 
try, who had there tested its virtues. The account 
given of it is this: In France it is called the bird- 
wheat, from a supposition that birds had carried the 
seed into a field of winter-wheat, from which it 
was originally selected by the owner of the field. 
On trial, it proved a valuable variety, and was rap¬ 
idly extended. I think it is five years since it was 
first brought to this vicinity. Its reputation has 
increased with every year’s trial, and the demand 
for seed this spring has far exceeded the supply, 
and this solely on account of its intrinsic merits, as 
I conceive, for no mention of it has ever been made 
public, and a knowledge of its existence (in this 
country at least) confined to a small district, com¬ 
paratively. 
The wheat is four-rowed and bearded, very 
strong stem, and can not be over-fed so much as 
to cause lodging, as the straw is very thick and 
firm. It is a great producer in good soils. Such 
is the character of the spring-wheat as I obtain it 
from an Englishman, a gardener by profession, who 
is neighbor to the introducer of the wheat into the 
country, and a pretty close observer of everything 
connected with agricultural interests. 
Jos. C. G. Kennedy* 
Hillside , near Mcadville, Pa., 30 th April, 1844. 
Additional Premiums. —At the last monthly 
meeting of the executive committee of the New 
York State Agricultural Socieiy, premiums for 
Jacks and Mules were added to the list. When¬ 
ever anything additional is desired, it is only re¬ 
quisite to address the recording secretary, at Al¬ 
bany, Mr. Henry O’Reilly, who will take the ear¬ 
liest opportunity of bringing the suggestion before 
the executive committee. The society is disposed 
to be as varied and liberal in its premiums as its 
funds will admit. 
