Death OF Sheep and Lambs—Wm. FT. Norton, 
Springwater, N. Y., writes that he fed 75 ewes timo¬ 
thy, cnt in fall blossom and cared without rain, until 
Febrary, then began to feed them half a bushel of 
com and oats with a little wheat screenings mixed. 
They had free access to pure spring water and to a 
well ventilated room 16 + 40. Hia Iambs came very 
small aDd weak tumble to get np and showing no in¬ 
clination to suck when aided. He raised but 25 The 
ewes became very thin and eight of them died, as Mr. 
N. judged, by “grub in the head." We have no con¬ 
fidence in this solution. No facts are .iven which 
warrant it. The lambs certainly did not die of that 
malady. We are told nothing of the run the sheep 
had and their amount of exercise. Wc are not told 
whether they received any green feed. Pregnant ewes 
must have both to winter welt and bring forth strong 
lambs with any great degree of certainty We con¬ 
fess, too, we have a strong suspicion of wheat screen¬ 
ings, unless certain that they contain no ergot or 
other unhealthy substance*. Nor Is entire timothy 
hay the best hay for sheep—particularly if dried too 
much in curiug. Mr. N. says that most of the far¬ 
mers in his region have mid with the same mortality 
amon.: their sheep and lambs—losing from five to one 
hundred each. 
EDITED BT HENRY 8. RANDALL, LL. D 
To Correspondents — We haTc a number of ex¬ 
cellent articles from contributors and correspond¬ 
ents on file for publication in practical and other de 
partments— and many awaiting examination. Friends 
who are anxious to see their prodnetions in print 
must exercise that cardinal virtue, Patienrn_ ag wp 
are constantly obi Led to do, the limits of the Hcral 
precluding ns,every week, from iving what we desire. 
The Oro win-o Cnops.-Tbe past week has been one 
of great promise to the farmer. Rarely has it happened 
that vegetation has taken such onward strides in * 
given length of time. Corn, potatoes, wheat, grass 
and. in fart, everything green has gone forward at 
railroad epeed. This seems to be general over the 
States—North. South. East and West—and should the 
weather prove favorable for harvesting, and the an- 
tumn mild, the yield or wheat and corn will be great¬ 
er than ever before. In the extreme South the wheat 
harvest is nearly over-in some sections entirely s 0 - 
and all accounts concur in placing the yield in ad¬ 
vance of that of any previous year. From present 
indications the apple crop also will be much more 
abundant than for several years past. 
HOW TO GET HEAVY FLEECES, &c 
John W. Ziglbk, Rolling Prairie, la., asks 
the following questions:—“ What is the mode 
of obtaining the heaviest fleeces, and at what 
age do Merinos yield their heaviest fleeces?” 
The first step to get. the heaviest unwashed 
fleeces is to breed from rams and ewes which 
have that combination of wool and yolk which 
weighs most; secondly, to promote the growth 
of wool and the secretion of yolk to the greatest 
practicable extent by high keep; and thirdly, 
to prevent any portion of the yolk from being 
washed out of the woo] by rain or snow, or 
dried out by strong drying winds. 
To get a teg’s fleece to brag of in the news¬ 
papers, he should he dropped early in winter 
(say January,) receive what grain, &c., he will 
eat in addition to his dam's milk until weaning 
—through the summer, in addition to good pas¬ 
turage—through the fall -through the ensuing 
winter and up to the time of shearing. Uo must 
be carefully watched and tended to sec that he 
is never fed enough to cloy his appetite, but 
he must be glveu as much as he will safely 
bear. If a drop of rain promises to fall, his 
owner should leave hay or grain to be spoiled 
in the Helds, or if in meeting leave in the mid¬ 
dle of the sermon and run his horse home, rather 
than allow an ounce of yolk to be washed from ' 
the fleece. He should he kept near the house 
for greater convenience in this respect, and if 
business calls the owner away a few hours, he 
should strictly charge the women and children 
to rush out and “get, in the ram” If a sprinkle 
is threatened. In winter he should never be let 
Steaming Foon ron Stock. - A Subscriber, Bloss- 
vale, Oneida Co., writes as follows: — “ I would like 
to know, through yonr columns, if there are any 
among your readers who practice cutting and steam- 
ing feed for stock. If there arc any will they please 
let their light shine by communicating the results of 
their experience—their modus operandi— for the ben- 
eflt of tin- rest of tin; Rithai, readers." Be is al*o 
nnxions to know whether K, W. Stewart, who wrote 
on this subject in the Rural in 1859—60, now feels 
confirmed in the practice of steaming food for stock, 
as then recommended by him Wo do not know 
whether the views or Mr. 8. on this subject have 
been modified by time or not, but we presume be will 
take pleasure in answering, thereby enlightening our 
correspondent, and perhaps benefiting many other 
readers at the same time. 
ewes, wool of 12 mos. growth, and respectively 13#, 
12, 10k in. long. No. 4, wool 11 mos. growth, 10# 
in. long. No. 5, wool 10 ruos. growth, 11# in. long. 
No. 6, wool 10 mos. growth, 1i in. long. The above 
were intended to comprise the range of quality in the 
flock. They are good, bri ht samples of Cots wold 
wool. 
Hon. T. C. Jones, Delaware, Ohio, side and thigh 
samples from pure bred f'otswold and Leicester ram* 
—about 7 in. long—quality ami inster good. Also 
from cross bred South Down and Leicester ewe, 4 in. 
long. 
We have received a large and splendid lot of long 
wool sain pies, unaccompanied by the name of the 
grower. We wish they might be identified. The 
package contained two bunches of side and thigh 
samples—tied respectively with black *ilk thread and 
small cotton cord. 
The Bent Kind or Stable Floor.— “A," of Grat¬ 
tan, Mich., asksWhich is hest? Plank, Or gront- 
oil with gravel and lime like a concrete house, or 
paved with hard head stone like a street pavement, 
and how large stone, and should any lime mortar be 
used; or should they be imbedded In sand or clay f 
We cannot get quarry stone here, and brick are very 
costly. 1 wish some one who has had experience 
with paved stable Hours, would fcl] me through the 
RtTHAL how to make the very best kind of floor for 
horses or cattle, where the material to be had is pine 
plank, sand, gravel, hard head stone of any size, quick 
lime and water lime. An early reply would probably 
oblige many who aro building this summer, and cer 
tuinly one who wishes to do everything in the best 
way.” Come, friends, drop your hoes long enough to 
answer this. Experience is wanted, and it is your 
duty to give it. 
All that we can make out by the 
post mark Is that they are from the State of New 
York, and that two last letters of name of post office 
are “ on,” 
Middle Wool.— Hon. J. Wentworth, Chicago, Ill., 
washed sample from a ram from the flock of the 
Duke of New Castle, unwashed sample from a ram 
bred by the Duke of Richmond. These rams were 
presented to Mr. Wentworth by the Prince of Wales 
alter his visit to this country. Unwashed sample, 
about 4 in. long, of good quality, bright and strong. 
Washed sample, perhaps a trifle shorter, fine, soft, 
bright and si rong, These rams being selected Tor Mr. 
W. with more especial reference to fattening proper¬ 
ties, he selected a ram to cross upon their progeny 
with reference to wool, from the flock of Mr. Taylor 
of New Jersey. The sire and dam of this ram were 
bred by Jonas Webb of England. The sample of his 
wool forwarded is 4# in. long: indicates a heavy 
fleece, is excellent in every particular. 
Samuel Thorns, Waehin ton Hollow. Dutchess 
Co., N, Y., numerous samples from his stock, selected 
from or clear.? talarita of the flocks of Mr. Webb and 
either eminent ^breeders in England. The samples 
are not separately described. They average about 4 
was insisted on; so, unless shearing without 
washing becomes more general, I see no other 
way but what I must again reluctantly return 
to washing sheep, and continue to, until manu¬ 
facturers will buy unwashed wool on Its own 
merits, instead of on that miserable, unjust, ar¬ 
bitrary rule of one-third deduction on about all 
unwashed wool without regard to its condition. 
Solomon Hitchcock. 
Conesne Center, N, Y„ May, 1867. 
fWe think Mr. Hitchcock was unfortunate 
in the selection of his wool broker. We know 
that uuwashed wool can be sold in New York on 
its supposed merits, without any reference to an 
arbitrary rate of deduction, and we have no 
doubt the same is true in Boston. We propose 
Burning Locusts. 
A Jackson County farmer, says the Kansas 
City Journal, scattered hay around hU wheat 
field last fall, and the locusts gathering into the 
hay at night, he set fire to it, in the morning, and 
by repeating the process saved twenty-five ont 
of thirty acres, and ttie wheat is now looking 
fine. 
Corn — Cultivation. 
Thk editor of the Farmer, Richmond, Va., 
says:—The work done in June is perhaps more 
decisive than in any summer month. As the 
hoeing season closes, much benefit may be de¬ 
rived from running a subsoil plow deeply be- 
»ho« ok i horn Dill Farmers’ Clcb. -Writing 
us of the fifth Annual Exhibition of the Thorn Hill 
(Onondaga Co.) Farmers’ Club, held Juno 6, a corres¬ 
pondent says:—" The attendance was lar.c, (though 
in consequence of the backwardness of thesoason and 
farm work, not as large a- at some previous ex hi hi- 
hitlons,) and the F.xhibitlon may bn considered u suc¬ 
cess. The show of horses watt very fine. The. splen¬ 
did matched horses of Mcssn». Ai.vobd Broth era of 
Marccllue, Platt, Conover and Smith or SkAncatcles, 
and VI ells of Otlsco, excited general admiration. 
The sheep exhibited were fully eqnai to those or any 
former exhibition. Among the most noticeable were 
the ram* of W. 8. Briggs and Gko.Clark of Skancate- 
les, P. HOLME*-. 8 . A. Wkiqht, K. P. Olmstkh and 
D. Chcrco of Marcellas, and P. Burn- of Spufford, 
Use twine freely, A quarter of a pound is not 
too much, If used judiciously. It can be taken 
off afterwards If necessary. If you weigh with 
an old pair of farm steelyards, not tested within 
the last twenty-five years, bo pretty sure that 
they don’t weight too light, and don’t give too 
quick weight. 
if you eturt with a tolerable heavy wooled and 
J’olky fleeced teg, and follow these directions 
closely, Mr, ZiGLKlt, you will he likely, if your 
teg does not happen to die before shearing, to 
boot your neighbors all bellow, who have lambs 
come at the ordinary time and treat them in the 
ordinary way. And the merits of the system 
are conclusively proved by the fact, that you 
will thus utterly beat, sheep worth twice as 
much as your own, and which would easily beat 
yours iu weight of fleece under the same man¬ 
agement. Your teg will shear at least twice as 
much unwashed wool a* he would do if dropped 
at the nsual time and treated in the common 
way. You can sell him for from four to six or 
even ton times as much —especially to new-be¬ 
ginners who expect to get rich by ram-selling 
in five yo'rs. 
I* is true that the system requires some risks. 
Iligh fed and summer-grained tegs sometimes 
die off unaccountably in winter. The forcing 
system renders them far more subject to dis¬ 
eases than merely well kept sheep—especially in 
large flocks; —and sometimes without the ap¬ 
pearance of any positive disease, they get off 
their feed and come into the spring no larger 
and not half so strong as they entered the w in¬ 
ter. The forcing system requires an experienced 
practitioner, a quick eye, and constant care. He 
should bo able to pick out a teg that has missed 
a single feed. He should be ever on the watch. 
There Is no doubt that forcing impairs the 
constitution. If not continued the second year, 
the “ brag fleece ” is lost . If kept up, the ani¬ 
mal, especially if a ram and worked pretty hard, 
is quite likely to die. We doubt whether fifty 
per cent, of the high-priced rams of the country 
survive their fourth year. 
Now to yonr second question. Under the 
common, old-fashioned treatment the third or 
fourth fleece, was usually the heaviest one. Now 
it depends upon the special circumstances of the 
case. If very early dropped and forced the first 
year, a teg sometimes shears more than it ever 
will afterwards if put under common treatment. 
If the forcing, however, is kept up, it will shear 
more the second year, and sometimes an addi¬ 
tional amount the third year. Afterwards the 
amount will materially dwindle. 
Condensed Correspondence, Items, &c 
Farmers’ Anvils. 
The Maine Farmer tells how to get an anvil 
for farm use, the editor having seen one recently 
which just met the requirements of the case. A 
section of a T rail, about seven inches long, from 
a railroad, will answer. It is easily moved, and 
convenient. An old rail taken to a smith's shop 
could be readily made into sections enough to 
supply a neighbornood. 
Good Sheep,—P earl Creek, Wyoming Co., N. Y,, is 
celebrated for white beans and Merino sheep. Several 
breeders of thorough-bred8 live in this neighborhood, 
and persone wishing to purchase choice sheep resort 
here from distant places. The sheep men keep right 
along improving their flocks, and have no notion of 
giving up their business for dairying or any other 
popular employment. Among the prominent sheep 
men are the Messrs. Gorton, and i had the pleasure of 
seeing several very fine ewes, shorn the other day, 
belonging to Samuel and Jackson Gorton, The 
wool was in such fine condition and the sheep not 
having been over-fed, and many of them having 
lambs, I thought they might demand a place in the 
great Sheep Register, the Rural. 
„ R> b * ozb - I lbs. OZ8. 
No-1.-.12 No. 0. ii 
A Cheese Factory. 
The Homellsville Tribune says a building 
for a cheese factory at Greenwood, in that 
county, is nearly completed. It is 28 feet 
wide aud 120 feet long. It will be ready for 
operation 60 on, and will manufacture the milk 
of 300 cows the present season. The price 
charged for making cheese is two cents per 
pound. 
Wheat in the Northwest. 
The St. Paul Press says the supposition that 
there has been any general scarcity of wiieat lor 
seeding iu Minnesota, or less breadth of ground 
sown to wheat there than usual, is a mistaken 
one. There will be a large increase in the wheat 
area this year, compared with that of the last. 
If the vernal promise is made good at harvest, 
the wheat crop will be immensely larger than 
ever. The Milwaukee News predicts the same 
for Wisconsin 
I Cotswold nun teg, 13 mos. old; fleece 10# lbs.; length 
10#' iu.; quality aud luster good. No. 2, Oxfordshire 
Owe teg; 13 roos ; weight unshorn 125 lbs.; estimated 
to shear from 6 to 7 lb*.; length 9 in.; quality and lus¬ 
ter good. No. 8, same blood and age; quality equal; 
length same. No 4, Oxfordshire ewe, 26 mos. old, 
with sucking lamb, side aud thigh specimens; wool 
, 5 iu. long, of good quality and luster. No’s 5 and 6, 
% blood ewes, S and 6 years old, good q iality and 
luster, but crimp rather flue for dumbing. 
J. J. Dodge, New Lyme, Ohio. No. 1. imported 
Cotswold ram, 4 years old; wool 9# in. long. No 2, 
imp. Cotswold ram; wool 9 in. long. No’s 8 and 4, 
imp. Cotswold ewes; wool 10 and 9 in. long. No. 5, 
five imported Cotswold ewes, “ corresponding iu 
qnality with most of the full blood flock;” wool 9 in. 
long. No. 6. five ewes, bred by Mr. Converse, most¬ 
ly a cross between Cotswold and Leicester; wool 
about 0 iu. loug. The qnality and luster of all the 
fall bloods, good; those of the mixed bloods about 
the same with most of the combing wool grown in 
Ashtabula county and its vicinity. 
Hon. Samuel Campbell aud K, Gibbon, New York 
Mills, Oneida Co., New York, fifteen samples, (sent 
May 8th.) No’s 1 to 3 from imported Lincoln ewes, 
from 2 to 3 years old; wool 8 to 8# inches long. No’s 
4 to 7 imported two-years-old Lincoln ewes, which re¬ 
ceived the first prize at the groat Yorkshire show in 
England iu 1806: wools#' to9inches long All the 
preceding ewes were sheared last year, May 14. No. 
8, imported Lincoln ram, a years old, washed fleece 
this year 17# lbs., last year 18 lbs,; sheared last year 
May 1; wool 10# in. long No. 9. imported Lincoln 
ram, 2 years old, washed fleece 15# lbs., last year 18 
lbs.; sheared last year May 4; carcass 310 lbs. No’s 10 
and 11 imported Lincolu ewes, 5 years old, the other 
older; length of wool 6 in. and 5# in. No. 12,2 years 
old Leicester ewe; wool 0# in. No. 18 , Leicester 
ewe teg; wool 9 in, long. No. 14, Canadiau Leicester 
ram, 2 years old; wool 9 iu, long. No. 15. Leicester 
ewe teg; wool 9 inches long. Mr. Gibbon thinks that 
the reticent rough passage of the Lincolns from En¬ 
gland, and then inadequate feed, somewhat shortened 
the staple, and that the luster of the wool was dead¬ 
ened by being soaked with salt water. Bot we think we 
never saw samples coming from a single lot of sheep 
which exhibited better if equal luster, and the qual¬ 
ity wc judge to be about right for the best uses of 
•* InsLer wool." The Leicester samples also arc un¬ 
usually bright. 
Isaac Aiken. Beckman, Dutchess Co., N. Y., six 
samples of Cotswold wool. No’s 1, 2 and 3, from 
The last two were ewe tegs of remarkable beauty, 
weighing 47 lbs. each. You conld scarcely tell them 
apart. 
We also claim the honor of having a ram very hard 
to beat, the property of John C. Doty Little Chief 
(ought wg to apply to the Legislature and have it 
called Big Chief t) sheared this spring 28 lbs. of wool; 
one year’s growth. He is from the Farnsworth Ram 
of Vt., and a Cutting ewe—four years old, and boasts 
over five hundred descendants. Such a sheep has not 
lived in vain, however it may be with some folks.— 
H. T. B. 
Wheat Scarce out West —Reasons. 
Two reasons are given by the western papers 
for the comparative scarcity of wheat in some sec¬ 
tions there, which explains the mystery. High 
prices induced close selling in the fall, is one of 
them. The other is found in the unlooked-for 
volume of the wave of immigration which has 
rolled over that region during the last half-year. 
This "was wholly unexpected, and consequently 
unprovided for. A recurrence of this 6carcity 
is not likely soon to occur again. 
Union Ao’l Society—Brockport,— The summer 
exhibition of this Society took place at Broekporl on 
Saturday the 15th instant, and was quite numerously 
attended, The implement show is reported to have 
been large, and iu qnality excellent. There wore 
plows, mowers, reapers, potato diggers, improved 
gates, knitting machines, portable fences. The show 
of horses was good aud the usual t rials of speed were 
made. An address was delivered by Horace Gree¬ 
ley, which contained many sensible and seasonable 
hints, tersely expressed. 
Management of Sick Animals. 
A correspondent of the Germantown Tele¬ 
graph is of the opinion that more farm stock is 
lost or injured by hasty aud ill-advised attempts 
to counteract real or supposed ailments, than by 
a failure to administer anything for the purpose 
of cure, He says:—When your animal has a 
fever all stimulating articles are to be avoided. 
Bleeding to reduce the circulation; purging for 
removing irritating substances from the bowels; 
cooling drinks to allay thirst and supply de¬ 
creased secretions; rest and quiet to tone down 
the system, are what common sense would seem 
to dictate, and what nature would seem to re¬ 
quire. This is safer than to cram the animal 
with a multiplicity of cures, without regard to 
anything except the fact that something is the 
matter. We trust fanners and owners ot ani¬ 
mals will heed the admonition here given. 
WASHING SHEEP 
"Excelsior Farm Gate.” —Farmers and others 
wanting gates for carriage ways are referred to au ad¬ 
vertisement of the “Excelsior.” It Is simple iu con¬ 
struction, cheaply made and readily adjusted to any 
fence desired There are no hinges about it to get 
broken or out of repair. For farm purposee wc tbink 
it especially desirable, One can be seen on Fitehugh 
street, adjoining Baker's Block, thi- city. 
Hon. Henry 8. Randall Last year I tried 
the experiment of shearing my sheep (570) with¬ 
out washing. Although I had a few heavy 
fleeces, yet the flock, taken together, were not 
very yolky; and 1 learned, first, that the ex¬ 
pense of shearing such sheep that had been well 
littered through the winter apd well tagged in 
the spring, was only about the same as when 
washed in the nsual manuer. My shearers 
thought they could shear as many within one 
Horse Fair at Geneseo.—T he officers of the Liv¬ 
ingston county Agricultural Society announce a Horse 
Fair at Geneseo on the 4th of July. A lively time is 
expected. 
