: bff P Ihisbunbrn. 
AN ALLEGED 78 % POUND FLEECE! 
The Monthly Report of the Department 
of Agriculture for July, 1871, contains the 
following: 
“ The correspondent of the Department, in 
Alameda county, California, sends us a sam¬ 
ple of wool taken from the hip of a fleece 
that weighed 78)2 pounds, sheared from a 
French Merino ram, bred by John D. Pat¬ 
terson, Esq., ott his breeding ranch hr that, 
county, lh>m stock imported by him direct 
from Fiance; length of wool on the hip,one 
foot. The first fleece sheared from this ram, 
when he was sixteen months old, weighed 
42,?4 pounds. The fleece from which the 
sample sent to the Department was taken 
was the second shearing. The first two 
fleeces taken from this wonderful ram there¬ 
fore weighed 12134 pounds.” 
These statements would pass among ex¬ 
perienced sheep men as a mere hoax, or as a 
satire on that Inag-fleece literature which, 
after a lull of three or four years, is begin¬ 
ning to exhibit decided signs of breaking out 
again, did they not appear under such im¬ 
posing auspices. But they ale first pub¬ 
lished in an official report of a Department 
of the Government. They are announced 
as coming from “ the correspondent” of that 
Department in the county in California, 
■where the alleged facts took place. And, 
finally, they are placed before the world 
without a hint of dissent or doubt in respect 
to their truthfulness. These circumstances 
certainly tend to convey the impression, and 
we think from the public and private ex¬ 
pressions we have seen and heard on the 
subject, have very generally conveyed the 
impression that the then Commissioner, Mr. 
Capron, “ took stock," as a contemporary 
satirically expresses it, in the Alameda coun¬ 
ty Munchausen—thllt is to say, credited the 
story and published it us worthy of credit. 
We believe that Commissioner Capuon was 
far too well informed in sheep matters to be 
so egregiously gulled, and wc are fully per¬ 
suaded that the publication in its present 
form and without comment was the result 
of some mistake. 
But whatever maybe the facts in these re¬ 
spects, the supposed endorsement of the Ag¬ 
ricultural Department lias given importance 
ton. fiction which, without that endorsement, 
would have been thought too glaringly in¬ 
credible to require serious contradiction. As 
the case now stands, however, weapprehend 
that the omission of the agricultural press to 
brand it as it deserves, would mislead a large 
number of persons more or less interested in 
sheep husbandry—persons who possess lint 
a limited knowledge of the history, charac¬ 
teristics and productiveness of the different 
breeds. And we believe it would mislead 
them to their practical injury; for every¬ 
thing is injurious which deceives men in re¬ 
gard to their own business, and especially 
which makes them, pecuniarily, the victims 
of the venders of pretended improvements in 
that business. 
We, of course, attach that signification to 
the Alameda county statements which ac¬ 
cords with tlieir obvious construction; which 
accords with the const ruct ion put upon them 
by every one, so far as we know, who has 
written or spoken on the subject, and which 
undoubtedly accords with the construction 
which tlieir author intended should he put 
upon them by the public—namely, that the 
“fleece that weighed 78)4 pounds” at “the 
second shearing,” was a single year’s fleece. 
If it was the growth of several years, and of 
an unspecified number of years, the bragging 
falls flat to the ground ; and the whole phrase¬ 
ology of the article gives evidence that the 
omission to state that fact was neither unin¬ 
tentional nor innocent. Such a suppression 
of the truth would he morally fraudulent. 
Indeed, we have little doubt it would beheld 
legally fraudulent in a court of law, in an 
action brought to recover the price of the 
ram of a purchaser to whom the animal had 
been sold under precisely ihu representations 
made by the Alameda county correspondent. 
We do not know that any such subterfuge 
is held m reserve; and if so, we do not think 
it will in the least help the situation of that 
Correspondent. The tupprmio veri is quite 
as fatal a horn of the dilemma to be gored 
on as the suggestio falsi. 
Are we asked on what authority we as¬ 
sume to pronounce the Alameda story ne¬ 
cessarily a myth—a humbug 1? On the same 
authority that we would without proof or 
argument discredit the assertion that there 
is a cow in Alameda county which gives 
fitly quarts of milk at a milking—a lien that 
lays a dozen eggs a day—a horse that draws 
twenty tons up hill in a stone-boat, or runs 
two miles in a minute—or anything else 
equally preposterous. Great and rapid 
changes have Often been made in the pro¬ 
ducts and powers of animals by the skill of 
the breeder. Nature herself sometimes puts 
torth monstrosities of excellence. But there 
is always a limit to these things. The ex¬ 
perience of ages lias not shown in a single 
known instance such a deviation from exist¬ 
ing types or qualities as would be evidenced 
by the cases above mentioned, or by the 
production of 78)4 pounds of wool* by a 
single sheep in a single year; and hence we 
are authorized to declare, that such extreme 
deviations are contrary to the course of na¬ 
ture and do not occur. The extent of the 
alleged deviation from existing types in 
the case of Mr. Patterson’s ram, will be 
better appreciated after reading the fol¬ 
lowing statements contained in a letter 
which we received from him in 1862. Fie 
wrote:—“My French rams have generally 
sheared from 18 to 24 pounds of an even, 
year’s growth, and unwashed, hut some of 
them, with high keeping and light use, have 
sheared more, and my yearling rams have 
generally sheared from 15 to 22 pounds 
each.”! Mr. Patterson’s flock was then 
principally made up of sheep imported 
from France by Mr. John A. Taintor, and 
their immediate descendants; and it bore 
the reputation of standing on an equality in 
regard to weight of wool, with the best 
flocks of France or the world. We have 
heard of individual French rams shearing 
heavier fleeces. Mr. Taintor obtained 
one which "carried a fleece, unwashed, of 
32 pounds.":}: 
We do not now remember an instance of 
a heavier one,§ though one a dozen pounds 
heavier would not render Hie Alameda 
myth a jot more probable. And there is 
another" deviation " worth mentioning. We 
are told that the length of wool on the hip 
of Mr. Patterson ’fl ram was one foot. We 
have seen many of Mr. P.’s French Merino 
sheep and others as celebrated, and we think 
we never saw one whose fleece, strictly of a 
years growtlT, averaged over about three 
inches long. 
Wc do not hold Mr. Patterson responsi¬ 
ble for the statements of an anonymous 
writer, nor do we hold that any person is 
bound to hunt down or explain all llio idle 
stories concerning his property or himself 
which creep anonymously into the public 
prints. But here is a false statement ap¬ 
parently got up as an advertisement for Mr. 
Patterson’s special advantage. The place 
of its appearance attaches consequence and 
credit to ii among uninformed persons. We 
think then that both delicacy and duty re¬ 
quire Mr. Patterson to wash Ins hands of 
all complicity in its publication. We have 
delayed calling attention to the subject for 
several weeks anticipating that he would 
voluntarily do so. lie may have done so, 
and his article not met our eye down to the 
time of this writing, (Sept. 5th.) If lie has 
not., we lender him a full hearing in these 
columns. 
* We do not mean clean wool, but wool In the yolk 
—containing, however, nonrtiOoial adulterations. 
A See l ino Wool Husbandry, p. 57 of Van Rkn- 
THUVbE.V'S edition. 
i See same, p. 111. 
5 Mr. Patterson subsequently to writing us, as in 
the text. In ISO-. Imported a ram from France which 
we believe carried Considerably moru wool than any 
named by him at the former period, but If wo have 
ever seen the weight of Its fleece. It has passed Trow 
our recollection and we do not know where It Is to be 
ascertained unless from Mr. Pattkkson himself. 
-- 
NOTES AND QUERIES, 
riocct'S of Wool Clipped IHay, ISM, 
From the pure Spanish Merino sheep owned 
by JOUN S. Goe, near Brownsville, Fayette 
Couuly, Pa.: 
17ewes’ fl’cs.w’sh'd.w’t f'm I lbs. to 4 lbs. 15 oz. incl’sve 
68 
38 
13 
3 “ 
O »* 
2 bucks' fl'es, 
•> •• 
1 
1 
2 ewes’ fl’es, 
2 ** 
3 •* 
5 
2 
7 
3 
« 
8 “ 
2 
15 
unw’sh’d. 
ti 
ti 
“ 15 
7 ‘ 
7 
“ 15 44 
8 4 
8 
" 15 
10 • 
10 
" 15 
11 
11 
*• 8 41 
12 ’ 
45 lbs. 
19 “ 
12 
*' 15 
47 lbs 1 
•I. t< 
18 tbs 2 uz. “ 
lii lbs. 
to 10 lbs. 7 •* 
15 * 
16 
" 12 
11 • 
11 
’’ 13 n 
13 ’ 
13 
44 14 
12 ‘ 
13 
44 14 
11 
11 
” lb 
10 4 
10 
44 15 
9 
9 
“ 11 •* 
8 4 
S 
n •> it 
Tanuing Sliecp Skins with the Wool On. 
About every six weeks wc have an in¬ 
quiry as to the best method of tanning sheep 
skins with the wool on, for the use of door 
units, rugs, etc. Here are the directions; 
Tack the skin upon a hoard, with the flesh 
side out, and I lieu scrape with a blunt knife; 
next rub it over hard with pulverized chalk 
until it will absorb no more. Then lake the 
skin oil' from the hoard and cover it with 
pulverized alum ; double half way over, with 
flesh side in contact; then roll tight to¬ 
gether and keep dry for three days, after 
which unfold it and stretch it again on a 
hoard or door, and dry in the air, and it will 
he ready for use—American, Artisan. 
Keep Sheep. 
Every farmer should keep sheep, whether 
wool is low or high. They are the most 
profitable stock he can raise. They will 
eat and live upon what other stock will not 
cut., unless forced to. They will exterminate 
weeds, undergrowth, etc., from the farm, 
while other stock will not. With proper 
care and management they will double tlieir 
numbers yearly. They afford fine meat for 
the farmer’s table, with little trouble. All 
farmers should raise more sheep and less 
worthless curs. They will find them more 
profitable .—Rural World. 
Itrim iwsbiintrm 
ORANGE 00. DAIRYING.-No, IV. 
Results from Butter unit Mklm Cheese 
Ufa n ii fnc tit re. 
A record of carefully conducted experi¬ 
ments in any department of science or labor 
is extremely valuable. To the dairyman a 
true record as to what, a given quantity of 
milk will yield at different seasons in butter 
and cheese must be useful in very many 
ways. lie is aide to make comparisons 
with Ids own practice, ami thereby perhaps 
to discover wherein his practice is at fault. 
Such records are valuable because they show 
the profit or loss in the business, while they 
give satisfaction to the mind by presenting 
facts instead of conjectures. A leading fault 
among farmers and among dairymen is thut 
nearly all the business on the farm is con 
ducted iu a loose way. It is quite difficult 
to get any exact figures. We guess at the 
number of acres in a certain Held and the 
crop iu like manner is guessed off, while 
scarcely any record is kept of many things 
concerning the condition of the soil and its 
culture, the influence of drouth, rains, cold, 
heat and the like, all of which have a hear¬ 
ing more or less on the yield. Bo in dairying. 
How much cheese or butter, or butter and 
skim cheese can be made from a given 
quantity of milk? Can more lie made from 
a given quantity of milk in April Hum in 
May, or in May than in June V and if so how 
much? What is the average ratio? We 
have often asked dairymen of large experi¬ 
ence these and similar questions and have 
seldom received any definite answer. Guess 
work is very poor data for one who is ex¬ 
pected to make up reliable statements or to 
impart, correct informalion, and hence facts, 
figures and records of carefully conducted 
experiments have a value incomparably 
greater than any mere conjecture. 
In our recent visit, in Orange county. Mr. 
Slaughter gave us a record of the doings 
of the Wallkill butter factory during the 
season of 1865. To those who are seeking 
accurate statistics in regard to the quantity 
of butter and cheese that can be iniulo un¬ 
der good management from u given quantity 
of milk month by month, throughout the 
season, these figures will prove of interest, 
and should he preserved for future reference. 
We Arrange the whole iu tabulated form. 
The first column gives the number of quarts 
of milk received at the factory during the 
different months, and directly opposite each 
monthly receipt arc shown the pounds of 
cheese and butter made from such milk, the 
amount of money received for each, and in 
the last column the aggregate receipts of the 
month from t he sale of t he butter and cheese. 
Months. 
Quarts of 
milk 
received. 
Pounds ofl 1 *®* 
cheese » „.T 1 „ 
made. I .!))’ 6 
cheese. 
April. 
May. 
June. 
July... 
August. 
September. 
October. 
30,711 
Hft.439 
117,043 
1(44,120 
90,9*13 
82,551 
50,933 
4,465 
11.187 
II. 641 
12,'.54 
12.550 
15,929 
III, 060 
*409 19 
1.128 28 
1,690 55 
1.811 07 
2.071 to 
2.999 71 
1,816 89 
Totnl. 
507,760 
81.778 
*11.075 65 
Months. 
Pounds of 
bill ter 
made. 
„ AKyreg'to 
Not cash reeel pis 
received tor butter 
fur butter. and 
cheese. 
1.855 
3.077 K 
7,230k 
5.293 
4.T75K 
1.009 
3,934 
*59! 51 
1,475 K4 
2,298 48 
1,939 93 
2,001 07 
2,473 si! 
2,364 15 
34,236 *13,137 52 
*1.002 70 
2.001 15 
8.895 03 
3.551 (Ml 
4,023 12 
6,473 03 
4,200 54 
1*24,813 17 
April. 
May. 
June. 
July. 
A lUMIKt. 
September. 
October. 
Tot al. 
From these statistics it appears that 
5 2-1000 quarts of milk made one pound 
aggregate of butter and cheese. In the 
month of April it took a little over 22 6-10 
quarts of milk for one pound of butler and 
every 6 87-100 quarts, or a fraction over, 
made a pound of cheese. That is to say, 
the . .. 0-10 quarts of milk made one pound 
of butter and a little over ii 2-10 pounds of 
cheese, or 4 2-10 pounds in the aggregate of 
butter and cheese. Estimating a quart of 
milk to weigh 2 1-8 pounds, the 22 6 10 
quarts of milk, if made into whole milk 
cheese on rhe ratio of 10 pounds of milk to the 
pound of cheese, we should have a little over 
4 8-10 pounds of cheese, or say 6 10 pounds 
more weight of product by making whole 
milk cheese than by making butter and skim 
cheese. Thus it would seem that there is a 
slight gain in the weight, of product by 
making whole milk cheese, over the butter 
and skim cheese manufacture. 
Taking the aggregate of butter and cheese 
for the season at 5 2-1000 quarts of milk 
for a pound of product, anil putting the 
quart, of milk, wine measure, to weigh 35 
ounces (the weight given by some authors 
as the standard for a wine quart of milk of 
average quality), we have 10 93-100 pounds 
of milk required, to make one pound of pro¬ 
duct—butter and cheese—under the butter 
factory system. In other words, it takes 
about a pound more milk to make a 
pound of “ butter and skim cheese” than it. 
does to make a pound of whole milk cheese. 
There are important facts which we derive 
from these statistics. Important because we 
do not remember to have seen the estimates 
clenrly stated before. It has been held by 
many that by separating the cream from the 
milk, and making butter and skim cheese, a 
larger product in weight, could he made than 
on the whole milk system. Possibly the sta¬ 
tistics of a number of butter factories for a 
number of seasons, might vary the ratio from 
that given above. 
Again, it should he remembered that many 
whole milk cheese factories, in their official 
reports, state that more than ten pounds of 
milk are required to make one pound of 
cheese. Many report 10)4 pounds and some 
ns high as 11 pounds of milk ns the equiva¬ 
lent for the pound of cheese. Referring 
again to the statistics, and placing the quan¬ 
tity of milk required to make a pound of 
butter and a pound of cheese in a tabulated 
form, so as to compare the ratio of the differ 
ent months, we get the following: 
MONTHS. 
Qts. milk 
received 
at factory 
[Qts. milk 
requ’d to 
nmke 1 lb. 
butter. 
Qts. milk req'd 
to make 1 lb. 
skim cheese. 
April. 
30.711 
22 00-9 41 
0 87 too 
Miiy... 
89,139 
22 18-1(41 
7 78-100 
June........ 
117,043 
10 1H-1IKI 
7 99-100 
July. 
100,120 
18 11-100 
7 91-100 
August. 
90,903 
20 30-1141 
7 73 1(4) 
Septe mber. 
82,661 
17 88-100 
5 18-1(10 
October. 
60,983 
42 9LI00 
6 50-100 
A careful study of these statistics will he 
found useful to those who desire to compare 
butter making under this system with the 
making of whole milk cheese. 
—-- - 
DAIRY NOTES. 
flutter Workers uml Butter 1’n^kntos. 
You would confer a favor on mo and 
others by answering, through the columns 
of the Rural New-Yorker, the following 
questions:—Is there in successful operation 
any machine for working butter of capacity 
to suit a large dairy ? Or is the working of 
butter after churning generally performed 
by hand ? Is there a successful machine for 
making butter kegs; or are they generally 
made by hand by the coopers, ft' there are 
such machines could you inform me where 
they could be hud?—J. T. N., La Ports, Ind. 
We know of no machine for working but¬ 
ter where any other power than the hand is 
applied for ils operation. There are various 
hand power machines, or “ butter workers,” 
which are very great improvements over the 
ladle in lessening the labor of working hotter. 
Some of these have, from time to time, been 
figured in the Rural New- Yorker. The 
machine in common use among the butter 
factories of Orange county is not patented, 
and consists simply of an inclined slab, to 
which a lever is attached. An illustration 
and description of its construction and man¬ 
ner of working have been given iu the Ru¬ 
ral. It is very simple and one of the best 
butter workers in use. 
There are machines for making barrels 
and kegs. Some of the butter packages we 
understand arc made by machinery, the in¬ 
side and outside of the package being nicely 
turned so us to he uniformly smooth and 
even. We do not know where these ma¬ 
chines are manufactured or are for sale. 
Probably the Oak Butter Pail Co., of Bell- 
monte, N. Y., would be able to give the 
desired information, but such information 
should appear in our advertising columns. 
Butter packages, used to a large extent, 
are made by hand, being furnished by 
coopers in various parts of the dairy districts. 
Many of these packages are of a most villain¬ 
ous character, being made of improper 
material, imperfectly hooped, leaky and bad 
in every respect for packing butter. It is a 
cheat to put up butter in poor packages, since 
the loss falls often on other than the pro¬ 
ducer who is the guilty party, either from 
negligence, carelessness or nigardly economy 
—preferring to cheat the consumer with poor 
hotter rather than pay a few cents more for 
a good package. In regard to butter workers 
and butter packages, the various kinds iu 
ise in this country will he found illustrated 
iu Practical Dairy Husbandry, a work now 
nearly ready from the office of the Rural 
New-Yorkk.k and to which our correspond¬ 
ent is referred. 
msmxm. 
BONE SPAVIN. 
In the Rural New-Yorker, Aug, 26, 
B. Rockwell asks a remedy for bone spav¬ 
in. Here is hue that will cure it.Corro¬ 
sive sublimate, quicksilver and iodine—of 
each one ounce, with lard only sufficient to 
form a paste. Rub the quicksilver and io¬ 
dine together; then add the sublimate, and 
finally the lard, rubbing it in well; shave off 
the hair the size of the hone enlargement; 
then grease all around it, but not where the 
hair is shaved off Now rub on as much of 
the paste as will lie on a three cent piece only, 
each morning, for four mornings only; in 
from seven to eight days the whole spavin 
will come out; then wash out the wound 
with suds, soaking well for an hour or two. 
Then make an ointment of the following; 
White pine turpentine and lard, one-half 
pound each; honey and beeswax, one-quarter 
pound each ; melt all together, and stir in 
one-half ounce of very finely pulverised ver¬ 
digris, and put this on till the wound is 
healed. If you are careful of your mare it 
will cure her; please let me know if it does. 
Ringbone Remedy. 
Tell T. D. Speer to hind a toad (or two, 
if one does not cover it,) on his colt’s ring¬ 
bone, and keep it on eight or ten days. An 
Indian told me this near Louisville, K'y., and 
showed me the horse he took it off from. 
To Core Hie Kicking Blare, 
Now E. \V. Smitii has a kicking mare, 
when driven single. Well, here is a cure 
for her:—Hitch her into an old wagon; 
have a stout hit on her; now take a cord 
about fifteen feet long and put one end of it 
through the rings of the lilt curb under the 
jaw; pass the ends of the cord up through 
the gags in the bridle back through the hack 
strap rings, and then, fastening a ring on the 
hips, pass the cord ends through the ring 
and cross them; and tie them to the thills 
so she can walk all light, and when she 
kicks her head comes up (don't you see), and 
did you ever see a horse kick with their 
head up? 1 had a horse brought to mo 
Aug. 25, about like her, and cured her iu 
just, twenty minutes so Ilia!, you could not 
make her kick, i wish I hud her to break. 
I just like such to handle, and I have had 
lots of them too. C. J. Morgan. 
--- 
WHIPPING HORSES. 
There are persons who think that the 
spirit, and temper of a horse must he broken 
to make him valuable. Prof. Wagner, in 
his work on the "Education of Horses,” 
says:—" I would caution those who train or 
use horses against exciting the ill will of the 
animal. Many think they are doing finely, 
and are proud of tlieir success in horse truin- 
ing, by means of severe whipping, or other¬ 
wise rousing and stimulating the passions, 
and then, from necessity, crushing the will, 
through which, the resistance is prompted. 
No mistake can he greater than this; and 
there is nothing that so fully exhibits the 
ability, Judgment and skill of the real horse¬ 
man as the curb and tact displayed iu win¬ 
ning instead of repelling the action of the 
mind. Although it may he necessary to uso 
the Whip sometimes, it should always he ap¬ 
plied judiciously, and great, cure should ho 
taken not to rouse the passions or excite the 
will to obstinacy. 
“ The legitimate and proper use of the whip 
is calculated to operate upon the sense of 
fear almost entirely. The affections and bet¬ 
ter nature must he appealed t,o in training a 
horse as well as in training a child. A re¬ 
proof given may be intended for the good of 
the child, but, if only the passions nre ex¬ 
cited, the effect is depraving and injurious. 
This is a vital principle, and can he dis¬ 
regarded iu the management of sensitive, 
courageous horses only at the imminent risk 
of spoiling them. I have known ninny horses 
of naturally gentle character lo he spoiled by 
being whipped once, and one horse that was 
made vicious by being struck with a whip 
once while standing in his stall. 
“I have referred to these instances to show 
the danger of rough treat ment, and the effect 
that may easily be produced by ill usage, es¬ 
pecially with tine Mood horses and those of 
a highly nervous temperument. Many other 
cases might he cited, as such arc by no means 
uncommon. Sensitive horses should never 
he left after they have been excited by the 
whip or oilier means, until calmed down by 
nibbing or patting the head and neck and 
giving apples, sugar, or something of which 
Hits animal is fond. Remember, the whip 
must he used with great cure, or it is liable 
to do mischief, and may cause irreparable 
injury.” 
-»♦» - ■ 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
Cure for Scratched. 
A correspondent in the Rural New- 
Yorker of November 19th, writes that ho 
has a horse that has had the scratches every 
fall, and wants a remedy. We have had a 
case like his and cured it with pigs’ foot oil, 
hut when mud time came again had to doc¬ 
tor again. 1 sheared his fetlocks off, and 
have had no trouble since.— A. B. Stillman. 
Remedy for It In- ii mu linn iu Horsea. 
Macklot Thompson, St. Louis, Mo., has 
a horse 15 years oi l, which t wo iiiouthg ago 
was so stiff lie could not walk, and now is as 
active as a cat — made so by the use of the 
the following recipe: -Crude coni oil, one 
pint; strong vinegar, half a pint; turpentine, 
half a pint, mixed and well shaken. To he 
rubbed on mornings and nights. 
Remedy fur €» I tinders. 
In your issue, July 15, I notice an 
inquiry hv Wm. T. Thomason fora prevent¬ 
ive and Cure for glanders. For the preven¬ 
tion I can give no specific other than good 
treatment. &c. I give, in a few words, the 
cure or what I found in my case a cure. I 
gave one tenspoonful of Tartar Emutic, 
morning and evening, (in grits or mash that 
the animal would eat) lor two or three days 
in succession, according to the virulence of 
the case. And, if necessary, idler the same 
number of days repeated it which was not 
generally necessary. At the same time I 
put tar, freely, ami a little sulphur in the 
troughs and on the racks of my stables, after 
which I lost hone, although 1 had suffered 
with it for two or three years and lost many. 
—1. P W., Arkansas, August, 1871. 
_-c£FE 
