122 
WIRE FENCE FOR FOREST LANDS. 
because they drop strong, and are protected 
from cold and wet by a thick covering or coat¬ 
ing of soft hair and fur, which in a few months 
is shed, and replaced by a thick pelt of rich, 
soft, oily wool, remarkably compact, covering 
the whole body; a natural clothing, sure to 
protect them in severe weather. 
This breed of sheep are also distinguished 
for having loose, heavy, folded skins, particu¬ 
larly about the neck, in the form of a ruffle, 
giving them a bold and lofty appearance, with 
some folds upon the ribs, and a wide-set tail at 
the rump. In the Patent-Office Report for 1847, 
may be found an able letter from Charles L. 
Fleischman, Esq., accompanied with cuts repre¬ 
senting the best breeds of sheep in Germany. 
On page 268, Mr. Fleischman says: “ Twenty 
years ago, bucks with a smooth, tight skin, 
which had extremely fine wool, were consider¬ 
ed the best; but their fleeces were light in 
weight, and had a tendency to run into twist. 
The German Merino wool grower had to come 
back to the original form of rams, with a loose 
skin, many folds, and heavy fleeces; and since 
then, they have succeeded in uniting with a 
great quantity of wool, a high degree of fine¬ 
ness. This kind of heavy-folded animals, rams, 
and ewes, are now considered the best for 
breeding and wool bearing. 
“ The Spaniards kill all those lambs which 
are born with few folds and fine short hair, or 
almost naked; because, experience has taught 
them that the offspring of such animals bear a 
fine wool, but produce, by degrees, animals 
with flabby, light fleeces, which gradually lose 
the folds, and become thinner and thinner in 
fleece; and are consequently less advantageous 
to the wool grower than those sheep which are 
produced from lambs of plenty of folds, and a 
thick cover of fine, soft hair .”—Transactions of 
the American Institute. 
WIRE FENCE FOR FOREST LANDS. 
As we are so frequently called upon, person¬ 
ally, for knowledge on this subject, we will 
here give, for general information, the manner 
in which wire fence is frequently made in the 
forest lands, in this vicinity. 
In order to make a strong fence, it requires 
three strands of wire. No. 9 is used for the 
lower strand, and is placed from one to two 
feet from the ground. No. 8 is used for the 
middle, and is placed from one foot to eighteen 
inches above the first. No. 7 is used for the 
upper strand, and is placed the same distance 
above the second, as that is from the first. If 
cattle are very unruly, it may be advisable to 
use larger wire; but anything smaller is too 
light for this purpose. 
The best way of fastening the wire, is to bore 
a half or three-quarter inch hole through the 
centre of small trees, from three to six inches 
in diameter, and run the wire through these; 
otherwise, drive small staples made of the best 
wrought iron into the trees. The objection to 
iron staples is, that where the wire rests upon 
them, it corrodes much more rapidly than if 
resting on wood. These trees should be about 
ten feet apart; further than this, the stock is 
much more likely to get their heads through 
the wire and injure the fence. 
Wire fence is found to be quite as efficient 
against unruly stock, as the best rails; in 
fact, in many instances, more so, for they can¬ 
not tear it down as they will rails, nor can they 
easily break it. Generally, they seem afraid of 
it, and the moment the wire touches any part 
of the body, they immediately withdraw from 
it. 
Wire fence gives the country a much more 
beautiful appearance; for it cannot be seen a 
great distance off, and thus the landscape ap¬ 
pears like an immense park interspersed with 
cultivated fields of diversified crops. Walls are 
often necessary to use up the stone lying on the 
land; but rail fences are only a needless ex¬ 
pense, and are odious to the eye of every lover 
of a fine landscape. We detest them in every 
shape and form, and shall rejoice to see the day 
when not one can be found in existence; but 
that time will not come till the farmers of this 
country get more refined in their notions, and 
have the moral firmness to study their interests 
better than they now do, and compel all loafers to 
take care of their own stock, instead of turning 
them out into the highways to be supported by 
others. 
Discovery of a New Fibrous Plant. —Our es¬ 
teemed friend, Col. Maunsel White, of New Or- 
learns, informs the editor of the Delta, that the 
okra plant, which grows freely throughout the 
south, is one of the best fibrous plants known. 
It is coated with ten layers, which are very 
easily separated from the wood by crushing be¬ 
tween iron rollers like a sugar mill; and that 
the hemp is almost indestructible in water. 
This may prove a valuable substitute for hemp, 
as it can be grown where that cannot, and at 
much less expense for culture and preparation. 
There are many things yet to be learned before 
we shall all become look farmers. 
