137~ For Terms anti 
WINTER CARE 
’o-year-old Spanish Merino Ewes, owned by Isaac J. Whitney, Esq., of Clarkson, Monroe County, N. Our artist, 
farm to take the sketch, says the sheep portrayed are fair samples of a large portion of the flock they represent Mr. 
on and bred from sheep selected by him from the best flocks in Vermont Ilis purchases have been made from Messrs, 
noted breeders of Merinos in the Green Mountain State, so famous for its fine-wooled sheep. Morgan horses, etc. 
TWO DOLLARS -A. YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS .A-NTD IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SINGLE jSTO. FOUR CENTS. 
YOL. XIII. NO. 39.! 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR TIIE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1862. 
{WHOLE NO. 663. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
THE LEADING AMERICAN WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors. 
CHAS. D. BRAGDON, Western Corresponding Editor. 
The Rural New-Yorker is designed to be unsurpassed in 
Value. Purity, Usefulness and Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beautiful m Appearance. Its Conductor devotes his per¬ 
sonal attention to the supervision of its various departments, 
and earnestly labors to render the Rural an eminently Reliable 
Guide on all the important i’r.vtiral, Scientific and other 
Subjects intimately connected with the business of those whose 
interests it zealously advocates. As a Family .torKXAL it is 
eminently Instructive and Entertaining —being so conducted 
that it can he safely taken to the Hearts and Homes of people 
of intelligence, taste and discrimination. It embraces more 
Agricultural. Horticultural, Scientific. Educational. Literary 
and News Matter, interspersed with appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, than any other journal,—rendering it the most 
complete Agricultural, Literary ami Family Newspaper 
in America. _ 
ticulars, see iaet page 
OP SHEEP. 
At no period in the Agricultural history of our ; 
country, if wo except the brief space of time during 
which the “wav of 1812" was waged, did the wool 
and mutton product of the land bear SO important a 
relation to the income ot the farm as at the present. 
Duriug the last campaign of Narolkon. little or no 
wool could be obtained from abroad, and when our 
own Government engaged in strife with the mother 
country, and the agricultural population were trans¬ 
ferred from their peaceful life to the stern conflicts 
of the battle-field, wool advanced to enormous rates. 
From 1800 to 1807 the price wus nominal; in 1807 
and 1808 full blood Merino was worth one dollar per 
pound; in 1800 if. reached two dollars per pound, 
and remained at about this valne until the close of 
the war. In 1815 it again sank to very low rates, 
and continued dull and unprofitable to producers 
until about 182-L From a table of the “current 
prices of wool in Boston.” embracing a period of 
thirty-eight years, furnished by Geo. Livermore, 
Esq., to Henry S. Raniult., LL.D., and which we 
find in the Essay upon “Sheep Husbandry"’ read 
before the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, by Mr. 
R., at its last winter meeting, we ascertain the prices 
in 1824 to be:—Fine, 70 cents; medium, 45; coarse, 
33. From the beginning of 1827 to the close of 
1801, thirty-five years, the average price of fine wool 
was 50 3-10 cents per pound; of medium, 42 8-10 
cents; of coarse, 354 cents. Those Rl rax readers 
who desire to institute comparisons with recent or 
present data, are referred to the wool markets pub¬ 
lished regularly in our columns. 
With reference to the mutton value of this farm 
animal, we will only state that within our own 
recollection, sheep were slaughtered by thousands 
in Western New York for tho pelts and tallow. 
Less than twenty-five years ago, “Alleghany Veni¬ 
son,”—the title which it bore,—was hawked about 
the streets of Rochester at nominal prices, and the 
seller would dispose of such of his load a-s remaiued 
on hand at nightfall to chandlers for manufacturing 
purposes. To-day, butchers declare that it requires 
more time, and entails more labor, to procure a 
meager supply of mutton for the shambles, than to 
obtain all other meats. In the hope that this pres¬ 
sure would be relieved, they put up their offerings 
fifty cents per ICO pounds two weeks since. Sheep¬ 
skin tanners, their business depending upon the 
slaughter-house for supplies, have been in close 
quarters for material to work up, and they also 
have materially advanced the rates for pelts. Up to 
present writing not much relief has been afforded. 
Farmers seem determined to keep their sheep.—to 
enter more largely into wool producing,—and as 
such is the fact, a lew general hints concerning their 
care, management, etc., more especially during the 
winter season, will at least be opportune. 
For a considerable time a discussion has been 
going forward, through the agricultural press, 
as to the best climate for sheep. Many have 
maintained that in the Northern section of our 
country, and particularly in the extreme North- 
Western States, sheep-raising must prove a much 
more hazardous business than in sections where 
the winter months are comparatively genial. 
Summing up (he entire arguments and experiences, 
we believe it has been fully proved that sheep will 
stand cold weather without injurious effect, provided 
proper shelter from rains be given them. It is not 
cold weather but wet. that produces such mortality 
in our flocks. Experience has shown that sheep 
need as much protection in the South-West as in 
Minnesota or Iowa. A more kindly atmosphere pre¬ 
vails in the former portion of the Union than in the 
latter, but the changes are more frequent, and the 
sheep oltener get thoroughly soaked to the skin. 
Regarding this point we cannot refrain from making 
a brief extract from the American Stock Journal. 
It remarks:—“ When sheep are exposed to rains so 
aa to become entirely wet, a cold raw wind and a 
dam p soil can not help but carry off much of the heat 
which is necessary to the well-being of the sheep. 
The natural heat of the body of sheep (105°) is 
much higher than that of horses and cattle. This 
heat is kept up by the consumption of food (or 
burning of fuel) in the lungs, etc., ol the animal. 
To prevent this heat from flying off, the sheep are 
provided with a good warm coat of wool. To be 
effectual, however, the coat must he kept dry. In 
a cold, dry climate, if the wool gets a little wet on 
the outside, it is soon frozen, and this acts as a coat 
of mail, with a good warm lining of dry wool 
inside, so that the heat from the warm body within 
does not fly off. It is said tin?! the Scotch Highland¬ 
ers in olden times, when exposed during frosty 
nights, wet their plaids before lying down to sleep, 
and by holding them a short time from their bodies 
they were frozen in a stiff hard board, sufficiently 
thick and impervious to defend them from the cold. 
The slight coat of frozen wool acts in the same way. 
But in wet weather there is no such protection.” 
Economy, if no higher motive, will urge the shel¬ 
ter of sheep, and the arguments educed are sub¬ 
stantial, for the following reasons:—First, It removes 
disease and promotes the general health of the 
flock. Second, It will increase the quantity and 
improve tho quality of the fleece, Third, The bene¬ 
ficial results arising therefrom will be very percep¬ 
tible at the time of yeaning. Fourth, Warm and 
comfortable quarters are equivalent to a certain 
amount of food. During cold weather a considera¬ 
ble portion of the food consumed is taken up by the 
animal economy, used lor the purpose of supplying 
bodily heat, and the expenditure in this direction is 
in exact ratio to the exposure which stock are com¬ 
pelled to undergo. These propositions are founded 
upon the basis that everything furnished (or the 
comfort of the animal must redound to the healthi¬ 
ness of the system, and, consequently, to its pro¬ 
ductiveness and perfection. 
While we are thus endeavoring to impress upon 
the minds of farmers the necessity of shelter for 
sheep, it must be remembered that there is quite a 
distinction between protection and confinement. 
Where the latter system is adopted, we are but 
removing one defect and instituting another. Those 
■ who have been eminently successful in the rearing 
and management of sheep, are confident that ani¬ 
mal instinct will prompt the flock to seek for shelter 
when it is needed, and it nas been the course ol 
• such shepherds to allow latitude for exercise. 
In bringing flocks to winter quarters, they can not 
be herded together indiscriminately, and, at the 
same time, attain their highest good. While we can 
not lay down any rules for guidance, a tew general 
principles may he stated, which, with the watchful¬ 
ness of the flock-master, and the judicious exercise 
' of his judgment, may prove all that is necessary. 
Tho size of the flock, and the conveniences at hand, 
i will have their controlling influences.but the strong 
i and the weak should be separated,—another divi- 
• sion will contain the breeding ewes, a fourth the 
lambs, and so on, keeping, if possible, each class 
and age by themselves. 
Entertaining the supposition that all have been 
brought, to the place designed for their winter home, 
i the uext subject for consideration is feeding. Ani¬ 
mals desire their food as regularly and plentifully 
. as man, yet this is a feature seldom recognized by 
. “creation’s lord.” In many cases, feast and famine 
, bear alternate sway, and a flock thus kept—although 
I the amount fed out during the season may be greater 
, than where a systematic course is pursued—will 
| never thrive. In the choice ot fodder, much discrimi- 
k nation may he used, and, probably, we cannot do our 
, readers—not alone sheep-breeders, but atock-grow- 
. ers generally—better service than to re-publish the 
3 result of a series of experiments conducted by 
. Veit, Professor of Agriculture in the lioyal Institu- 
; lion of Bavaria. He remarks: 
i The straw of the usual leguminous fruits, and 
) especially of lentils, vetches and peas, is more nutri- 
i tious than the straw of seed-clover. The greener 
. the tips are. the less it is lodged, the better can it be 
) dried and brought in, the more nourishing it is. 
s The fine stalk vetch straw is also very nutritious, 
r behind which stands somewhat the pea straw, with 
?. its thicker stalk. All straw of leguminous fruit is 
particularly a welcome fodder to sheep, on which 
p, account, therefore, it is greatly prized by many 
, sheep-owners, and considered equal to hay. 
e Oat and barley straw is the straw for fodder of the 
r cereal fruits. Oat straw is most agreeable, and also 
- most nutritious, on account of its peculiar taste, fur 
b all species of cattle, because on the tips of (he pani- 
e cles are usually found unripe grains, and oats are 
I. cut before they are fully ripe. Barley straw has. on 
?, account of its moisture, and short period of vegeta- 
.1 tion, a high value as ioddor, and other things being 
d equal, is as nutritious as oat straw, if it were not, as 
it is the case, fully ripe before reaping. Yet it, is more 
y liable to injure than oat straw, because it imbibes 
p more moisture Irom the air and soil, 
n Straw of summer wheat, summer spelt, nud sum- 
»- mer rye, for fodder, sfancls after oat and barley 
e straw. 
e The sialic of maize, or Indian corn, contains much 
i. saccharine matter, and therefore is very nutritions, 
g used fine, and agreeable to all kinds of cattle The 
l. cobs, after the corn has been taken off, ground up. 
o are likewise a very nutritious fodder, and the hard 
a stalks may be chopped up for the purpose. Taking 
it all these things into view, it stands next to the straw r 
p. of summer rye in value as fodder. 
GFROTUP OR 1 TYVO - YEAR- OLD Sl?AJNnS3T MERINO EWES. 
Millet straw has a hard stalk, but contains at least 
as much nutriment as the winter straws. 
Buckwheat, on account of its quantity on a field 
of less fertility, and it ot fine stalk, in which its 
value as fodder from its straw being rich with 
leaves, is enhanced, is as good as the straw ol win¬ 
ter grain. 
Bean straw, in case its leaves have not falleu off 
or decayed, and the ends ot Ihe stalks are green 
when it, is cut, as many experiments have Shown, is 
more valuable than generally supposed. 
Whether water is a necessity of the sheep during 
winter, was a mooted point for a long period, but it 
is now ranked among their wants. True, an animal 
will quench its thirst by eating snow, and a man 
will satisfy nature’s cravings in the same manner, if 
compelled; but where a choice is given to both, the 
tastes can be readily discovered. Sheep will not 
over-drink where constant access to water may be 
had, and the objection that the animal is rubbed of 
natural beat by these draughts in cold weather, is 
nullified if proper shelter has been provided. 
YVe have thus endeavored to glance at the essen¬ 
tials in the Winter Management of Sheep; and if the 
flock arc brought in good condition to the yard—not 
permitted to roam over frost-bitten fields, seeking 
for the necessities of lilb—sheltered comfortably, fed 
with regularity, and in sufficient quantity, there is 
not the shadow of a doubt*but what, the owner will 
receive such reward as a quiet conscience and a 
plethoric purse are credited with yielding to those 
who desire mental ease, and physical comlort. 
EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 
Surface Application of .Manure. 
The Mark Lane Express, in commenting upon 
the various experiments of Professor Voetaker, 
states that ihe Prof, judging from the results of 
these numerous trials, leans to the opinion that the 
spreading of farm-yard compost on the surface of 
the soil, for even a considerable period before it is 
plowed in, is by no means so Injurious a practico as 
farmers have hitherto been led to suppose. He 
says that - on all soils with a moderate proportion 
of clay, no fear need be entertained of valuable fer¬ 
tilizing substances becoming wasted, it tho manure 
can not be plowed in at once. Fresh, and even 
well-rotted dung, contains very little free ammonia: 
and since active fermentation, and with it tho fur¬ 
ther evolution ot free ammonia, is stopped by 
spreading out the manure on the field, valuable 
manuring matters can not escape into the air by 
adopting this plan.” If this is a reasonable conclu¬ 
sion, it goes far to remove the dread of losing, on 
such soils, the better portions of farm-yard manure 
by top-dressings. As the season will soon bo here 
when these dressings are commonly applied to 
grass, it will be useful to remember this fact. 
The best time for applying the manure is held, by 
the great Cheshire grass farmers, to be in the end of 
September or the beginning of October, particularly 
in a showery period, as the grass soon covers it, and 
renders it less liable to be damaged by the sun or 
drying winds. ___ 
Absorptive Power of the Isoil. 
In- recent, issues of the Rural, articles have 
appeared embracing the subject-matter indicated by 
the above title. Quite a number of farmers main¬ 
tain that certain kinds of soil are “leachy,”—that 
the fertilizing materials applied will he carried 
through by moisture, and that vegetation thereon 
will derive little or no benefit from any manurial 
application. The Scottish Farmer is discussing the should the disease, spread, the animals in the vari- 
matter, and remarks: ous stages of the disease should be kept apart from 
No contribution of science to the practice of agri- j each other. The whole flock, be it ever so large, 
culture is more calculated to arrest the attention of should be turned and examined, and this operation 
the farmer than ihe various observations which have should be repeated daily, or as Mien as it can well 
been made, within the last Jew years, regarding the be done. Whithont asserting that the disease w not 
remarkable power the soil possesses of absorbing j infectious in the early stage, it is far lees so than 
and retaining some of the indispensable elements ot afterwards; thus t»y carefully removing every 
the plant. They are the more worthy of attention I affected case we may prevent the infection spread- 
inasmuch as the facts which have been determined [ ing to the remainder, and thus obviate the necessity 
are. to a certain extent, opposed to some of the more Of resorting to inoculation; for should no fresh case 
! commonly prevalent opinions. They lend but little appear for twenty-one days, we may consider the 
countenance to the idea that, t he manure, when com- flock safe, unless again exposed to infection, 
mitted to the soil, lies there in a precarious eontli- By the time the disease has manifested itself 
tion, liable at any moment to be deprived of its in the inoculated cases, we shall be able to 
soluble constituents by the rain, and of its volatile | judge as to the propriety of inoculating the 
matters by the. heat of the sun’s rays; but, on the whole flock, which, indeed, is the -afi‘s.t p an, 
contrary, they tend to show that there is a eonserva- unless there is every probability of confining the 
tive influence at work ia the soil, which imprisons disease to ton or a dozen cases by daily examin- 
these substances witbin it, and stores and preserves ation and separation. The carcases of the dead 
them for the future uses of the plant; and, what is sheep, including the skins, must be buried carefully, 
more, it exercises this influence more powerfully on or decomposed by sulphuric acid.” 
those substances which are most sparingly distrib- | From Bell’s Messenger we learn that the medicines 
uted through the soil, holding with the firm grasp employed in Mr. Parry ^ flock, whore ihe disease 
of a miser the potash and ammonia, but leaving the was first apparent, are very simple, consisting 
soda and lime, which are loss important to the plant, chiefly of nitrate of potassa. mingled with the water 
at the mercy of the rain. The discovery of these which is placed in the troughs, unlil a subsidence ot 
facts has thrown an entirely new light on the chemis- the fever takes place, alter which sulphate ot iron 
try of the soil; for they have shown that it must be has been substituted. W here diarrhoea has come 
studied not merely by itself, but in relation to the on — as it not untreqnently does m the latter stage 
Various substances with which it comes in contact of the malady, more particularly il the pox becomes 
in the course of cultivation, so as to trace the iufiu- confluent-opium is recommended as a valuable 
ences which they mutually exert; and thus a subject agent to arrest the attack, which, it not quickly stop- 
already sufficiently complex has become more diffi- ped, very soon carries off the sheep, 
cult and laborious than it was before. Speaking of inoculation, the Messenger remarks: 
“Nearly three weeks have now elapsed since Mr. 
Parry's flock were inoculated; and it is worthy 
small Pox ill Sheep. of remark that out of 116 ewes in which the disease 
Small Pox iu Sheep. 
Considerable alarm prevails in the minds of 
English farmers at the present time, because of the 
re-appearance of Variola Dvina, or Small Pox, in 
was thus artificially, as it were, produced, he has 
lost only l; while of those which look the disease 
•appearance of Variola Dvina , or Small Pox, in natnra ]|y ) the losses have already been sixty per 
coral of the lending flocks of sheep upon the UIK i there are numbers of other sheep of whose 
and. This formidable disease made its advent in recover y there is little hope,—indeed, the total loss 
... - , r... 1 .1. *_.1. A-■ .1 I 1 - - . . I 
Island. This formidable disease made its advent in recovt , 
English flocks iu 1847, and dining that year and ^ tbog 
1848 proved exceedingly destructive. At its first w y 
appearance the disease was clearly traced to certain 
importations of Merinos from Denmark and Ger- th(J rfig 
many,—its present outbreak is concealed in mys- p avoni 
tery. The London Agricultural Go-ette contains an a , 
article showiughow the malady may be circumvent- ■ b f cnt>s 
ed and destroyed, from which we extract the follow- p 0arM 
ing:—•• Should the disease break out iu any partial- ^ otl ^ 
lar flock, the important question occurs —What is to 
be done? Previous to which, however, arises one WE 
of almost equal importance —How is it to be di3- | 
covered? To answer the last query first: Should i 
one or more sheep appear listless, moping, or other- Yot 
recovery there is little hope,—indeed, tho total loss 
of those which have taken the disease in a natural 
way, Mr. Parky estimates will not be much short of 
65 per cent. Putting this, therefore, in contrast with 
the results after inoculation—which, under the most 
favorable circumstances, are not expected to aver¬ 
age a mortality of more than 5 per cent.—the desira- 
\ bleness of inoculation immediately upon the ap¬ 
pearance of the disease in a flock is placed beyond 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES. 
HOUSE FAIRS - PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. 
You may remember that Sir PiHLtt' Sidney says, 
one or mure euvep udualoo} * w, *--— t 
wise unwell, turn them instantly and examine the J “All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience, 
inside of the arms and thighs, where, should a red Another writer wrote once —■• Experience joined 
rash appear, resembling flea bites, or watery blad- with common sense, to mortals is a providence, 
dera, or pustules, we may consider the disease exists Perhaps some of the resits ts of ray experience and 
i none or other of its stages. Should these marks not observation, may be worth something to others. I 
■ , t *t .t . .i *__. _l_l .knnl/1 arnn I tiiHiYA tllPV TYlSiV 
appear, let the turning process be daily continued 
for a week or more. Should several sheep be 
trust so, else I should stop here. I judge they may 
be, because they are to me; tor I claim to be au ex- 
fOl* tt VYcUa UJt lUUiC. UUUUiU - - I 
affected, select tho mildest case, and from the dis- ception to that class of men Coleridge describes, 
charge procured from the watery bladder or blister whose experience is like the stern-lights of a ship, 
• .. * n. i _ l! t. 'll.. Anltr 4 K 4 no nlr ? 4 )iuc ttdCwPlI 
inoculate one or two healthy sheep at once, so that 
tho lymph for inoculation may be secured from one 
which illumine only the track it has passed. 
The position of Secretary of the •• World's Horse 
remove and from a mild case. The shepherd must, Fair” was tendered me. I accepted it-tor a eon 
... • _A - ? 1 .linn I' l,n,rtl iliiriG 01 1 f O ft WtPll I flo “ am 
of course, bo allowed sufficient assistance so as to 
attend to the duties without being worked to death; 
sideraiion. I have done all 1 agreed to do, “ and 
more too.” I have been well paid (or doing what I 
it t. _ 
tit It 1 1 HI IU LUU I 1 UUV 9 W ti uv.iu.ij uvmg w*. vs* •• -7 - 
and the men employed about the diseased animals have done, so far as a money compensation Is con- 
should have nothing to do with the healthy flock, cerned. The Fair is ended. My relations to it, and 
and more particularly with any neighbor’s sheep, the organization by which it was nominally eon- 
The most vigorous seuaration must be enforced, and ducted, as Secretary, have ceased to exist. I owe it 
