f trsBantrm 
H. S. RANDALL, LL. D., EDITOR, 
Of Corti.avd Village, Cortland County, New York. 
PROPOSED IMPORTATION OF 
FRENCH MERINOS. 
A firm in New York, in view, we sup¬ 
pose, of t’.io much greater size of French 
llum American Merinos, as shown by the 
statements of M. Sanson in an extract 
which we recently gave from his new work, 
ask our opinion whether it would not now 
be profitable to import some of the former 
into the United Stales. M. Sanson says the 
Merinos of France produce fleeces weighing 
on the average about 15J^ pound; of wool in 
the grease, and that “ as they arc commonly 
found at tho present day, they weigh from 
fifty to sixty kilogrammes,” or, dropping 
fractions of a pound, from 110 to 132 pounds 
per head. And lie further states: 
“Wo can procure jn Franco, with the same 
dew roc of precocity and In the same conditions, 
as many Merino rams as South-Downs. The 
former at the same age weiffti as much, if not 
more, than tlio latter; they wive us much moat, 
if not more, and of unquestionably better 
quality.” 
Whether the limitation of this comparison 
to rams is intentional, wc do not know. He 
says nothing elsewhere* to show that it is, 
and it would bo difficult to suppose there is 
any uniform difference in the rams and ewes 
of each breed in the above particulars. 
If “ t he broom ” was a “ new ” one, we have 
no doubt, in the present depressed condition 
of fine wool husbandry, such an importation 
would be highly profitable to the importers— 
nay, that if made under sufficiently impos¬ 
ing auspices, and with a sufficient amount 
of advertising and putting, it would make a 
clean sweep in at. least a good many portions 
of the United States. 
But unfortunately for such projects, 
the experiment has been already tried. 
Messrs. Cor.r.tNS, Taintok and others, some 
years since, made considerable importations 
from the choicest and most, approved gov¬ 
ernment and private Merino flocks of 
France. The earlier importers were gentle¬ 
men of wealth and standing whose prime 
object -was improvement—not speculation. 
They paid the highest prices and got the 
best sheep—vastly better than the average 
sheep on which M. Sanson founded his cal¬ 
culations. In witness of this, we offer the 
following statements of John D. Patter- 
son, one of the most successful American 
breeders of them. lie wrote to us in 1862; 
“ My French rams have generally sheared from 
18 to 24 pounds of an even year’sgfi'owtb, mid un¬ 
washed. blit some uf ilium, will) high keeping 
and light use, have sheared more, and my year¬ 
ling rams have generally sheared from 15 to £2 
pounds each. My breeding mid yearling owes 
have never averaged ns towns 15 pounds ouch, 
unwashed, taking the entire flock, home of them 
have sheared over 20 pounds each, tint these were 
exceptions, being large and in high eonditioii. 
My yearling ewes usually range from 90 to l.’JO 
pounds each, uud the grown ewes from 1.1G to 170 
pounds each, uud I have laid some that- weighed 
over 20U pounds each. * ♦ 4 M i veurling rums 
usually weigh from 1 .*0 io 160 pounds each, and 
my grown rams from 180 to 250 pounds each 
Some of them have weighed over 800 pounds 
each, but these wore unusually large,mid in high 
flesh and in full fleece. I. have laid ram lambs 
weigh 120 pounds at. seven months old.” 
We think the choicest flocks of France, 
to-day, cannot surpass these figures. What 
has become of these magnificent sheep? 
Mr. Pattkhhon carried his to California, and 
perhaps a few full-blood or grade Hocks of 
them may exist there. But wo doubt wheth¬ 
er a single pure blood, or even high grade 
flock cun be found this side of California. 
They are extinct in the Northern and East¬ 
ern wool growing Slates. Among mw breed¬ 
ers, a French cross in a Merino pedigree, 
though hall'a dozen generations bade, would 
lie esteemed a fatal taint. Never did a breed 
of animals sboot so rapidly into favor, and 
disappear so rapidly and under such general 
contempt 
It is not our business here to discuss the 
propriety of the popular verdict. We think 
it went to an extreme—that under certain 
circumstances, something useful could have 
been made out of crosses with these sheep. 
They were introduced specially as a wool¬ 
growing sheep. They were wholly unused 
to a climate like ours, and wholly unsuited 
by their previous management to the Ame¬ 
rican system of wool growing. They re¬ 
quired more shelter from vicissitudes of 
weather, more care in all respects, more, 
and better feed than anybody then thought of 
giving to American Merinos. French man¬ 
agement had converted them into mutton 
sheep, by forcing them, as English mutton 
sheep are forced; and when this manage¬ 
ment. was abandoned in the United States, 
when they were put on scanty pasturage, or 
pasturage rendered dry and innutritions by 
our scorching summers, and confined to dry 
hay, or that, with a mere modicum of grain, 
in winter—they did not of course receive 
sufficient sustcntatlon to build up and sup¬ 
port their great frames. The result was pre¬ 
cisely what it would have been with tho 
large mutton sheep of England, suddenly 
subjected to such a change of temperature 
and feed. A few breeders who understood 
the thing better, kept up the forcing and 
* That is, in the transactions before us. 
kept up tlieir sheep. But the mass treated 
them as they had been in the habit of treat¬ 
ing American Merinos—or not much better 
—and they perished like hot-house plants 
exposed to frost. Their progeny was gaunt 
and unthrifty and rapidly dwindled in size; 
and when it was found out that they pro¬ 
duced considerably less wool for the amount, 
of food consumed, and that their wool was 
no better than fir$t class American Merinos, 
the edict for their extermination went 
forth. 
Would there be any use of renewing the 
experiment of introducing them in our 
country, and feeding and treating them as 
mutton sheep? We apprehend that, under 
present circumstances, or any that are soon 
to be expected, there would be no profit or 
real advantage in it. Notwithstanding M. 
Sanson’s views, nobody here will be satis¬ 
fied of their superiority over, or even cqality 
to, the English breeds in the cheap produc¬ 
tion of mutton. English wool, for the time 
being, outsells Merino wool by the pound, 
and it would be our opinion, without a par¬ 
ticular investigation of the facts, that Eng¬ 
lish scoured wool can be produced as cheap¬ 
ly per pound as scoured French Merino 
wool. These facts, if they arc facts, give 
the advantage to the English mutton sheep, 
in the regions to which mutton sheep are 
adapted. 
In pastoral regions where high keep and 
forcing systems are out of tin: question, and 
where, consequently, wool must be the pri¬ 
mary object of sheep husbandry, neither the 
English nor the French sheep can subsist, 
to any advantage. If they could, they 
would he beaten “out of sight” by the 
American Merino in the cheap production of 
wool. Even now, and at the present rela¬ 
tive prices of combing wool and line wool, 
American Merino wool can he grown at a 
considerably greater net, profit per pound 
than combing wool—both breeds being 
placed in the situations beet adapted.to their 
economical production of wool. 
Where then, in the United States, is the 
place for the great fine-wooled mutton sheep 
of France? That place, ns already said, 
does not now exist, nor is it likely soon to 
exist. Wo have already incomparable mut¬ 
ton breeds—and we have an Incomparable 
wool breed. They are fitted for different 
situations, and each is most profitable in its 
proper situation. It is well, on all accounts, 
it is so. The idea of breeding animals fitted 
for nil situations, ends practically in breed¬ 
ing those which are the best in no situation. 
To acquire perfection and to utilize existing 
resources, it ns much needs a division of ob¬ 
jects in breeding, as it does of labor in the 
mechanical arts. 
-- —— 
THE WOOL TRADE. 
Tins importation of foreign fine wool, says 
the New York Journal of Commerce, con¬ 
tinues to decrease. Our maiiufiielHirers of 
cloth have been doing a very unsatisfactory 
business during the past, six months, which 
has compelled them to study the sternest 
economy in the matter of obtaining sup¬ 
plies; with the present tariff on clothing 
wools, it. lias been impossible to bring Cape 
or Mestiza wools in competition with our 
domestic wools, especially since the charac¬ 
ter of Texas and California wool and the fa¬ 
cilities for transportation to market, have im¬ 
proved in so marked a degree. Wc also 
give the importations of sheep skins; those 
arc Mestiza skins, from which the wool was 
pulled here; by the present tariff skins are 
admitted at a comparatively low duty.* 
Carpet wools have been imported more ex 
tensivoly, but mainly for account of manu¬ 
facturers. 
Imports of Foreign TFooI at New Fork during the 
.first Sir Months In 1870, and for the same time in 1809. 
SHEEP FARMING IN CALIFORNIA. 
Tin-: following is a very decidedly rose-col¬ 
ored view of the brightest side of sheep 
farming in California. The San Francisco 
Bulletin says:—“ The breeding of sheep for 
t heir wool is one of the leading industries of 
this State. It, is making great progress, and 
is capable of being vastly increased and im¬ 
proved in quantity, quality and price. The 
raising of sheep for tlieir wool began here 
in 1853, in a very small way, and its value 
soon became known by the large profits pro¬ 
duced, and the business grew so rapidly that 
wc were able to ship to t he Eastern States 
in 1855, 350,000 lbs.; in the following year, 
600 000 lbs.; in t lie year after, 1,100,000 lbs.; 
and this year we shall probably ship, after 
supplying the wants of our own manufac¬ 
turers, 20,000,000 lbs. The quantity, at the 
low average price of 20c. a lb., will produce 
for the wool of this State, this year, $4,000,- 
000. This yield of wool is equal in pounds 
to the entire wool product of the Capo of 
Good Hope, one of the oldest and most 
celebrated colonies of Great Britain for the 
raising of' sheep and the production of fine 
wool. The climate is most favorable for 
raising sheep. They neither need shelter 
nor artificial food, which is advantageous to 
their health and life. The mildness of the 
climate prevents disease, increases the weight 
of the fleece and mutton, and the number of 
lambs. The soil is equally as advantageous 
as the climate. The rich and luxuriant val¬ 
leys of California are peculiarly adapted for 
raising large sheep, and producing wool of 
fine texture and strong and long staple. 
The vast mountain ranges of the Stale are 
admirably suited for a smaller class of hardy 
aheop, which yield million of the sweetest 
flavor, anil wool, not so fine as tin: lowlands, 
but more of it in proport ion to the size of the 
sheep. Nature has so ordered it, that the 
colder the climate tho more abundant the 
wool to protect the animat, and the warmer 
the climate the lighter and finer the. wool; 
just us wc use a heavy coat in winter and a 
lighter one in summer. Tiie lleece of the 
sheep in this State averages about. fi’ J pounds, 
which, at 20 cents a pound, is $1.80. 'flic 
commercial expense of the same, including 
interest on capital, shepherding, shearing, 
freight to market, Are., averages about 30 
cents, which leaves a clear profit of about $1 
a head. To this is to lie added the increase 
of the lambs, which, at 3 months old, weigh 
25 pounds each, and sell for 10 cents a pound, 
making $2.50 for enqMnmb. If the iambs 
are kept longer, the price may fall, but the 
weight may increase i,u proportion, and they 
can be clipped before being sold. Tho result 
is, that for every breeding owe the sheep 
farmer has a yearly net profit, of $3.50. Let 
it be home in mind that these estimates are 
all below tho actual average. Tills is a. very 
handsome profit for such a small outlay of 
money, time and labor, anti a strong induce¬ 
ment to cultivate and encourage this national 
industry to its utmost, extent and perfection. 
This cannot hut impress New Englanders, 
engaged in sheep husbandry,that they labor 
under disadvantages as compared with Cali¬ 
fornia.” 
-- 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
English Million. 
A prominent sheep breeder of New York, 
who has traveled extensively in Europe, re¬ 
cently gave his opinion of the cause of the 
superiority of English and continental mut¬ 
ton over that in America, in the simple sen¬ 
tence, “ they feed turnips." The Practical 
Farmer endorses this opinion, and insists 
that our sheep breeders, to raise the best mut¬ 
ton, must raise ruta bagas and turnips.— 
Countrg Gentleman. 
England . 
Argentine Republic. 
Franca.... 
Africa. 
lira/, it. 
Now Gr.nmitu. 
Dutch West Indies.. 
Mexico.. 
OiB pi at I no Republic.. 
Russia. 
British Elist Indies.. 
Rrltlsh Australia,.... 
British West Indies. 
Turkey... 
Canada .. 
Hamburg. 
Ri'lipuin. 
Bremen. 
Chili. 
Azores. 
Austria. 
China. 
Total. 
England. 
Argentine Republic. 
France. 
Africa. 
Brazil. 
New Granada. 
Dutch West Indies.. 
Mexico. 
Ci&ptnUoe Republic.. 
Russia.. 
British East Indies .. 
British Australia. 
British West Indies. 
Turkey. ... 
Canada. 
Hamburg...... 
Belgium. 
Bremen. 
Chili. 
Azores.. 
Austria. 
China. 
Total. 
Sheep skins. 
1869. 
Nn, of 
Weight, 
EntM 
fiftl-K, 
II.-, 
V.tl nn, 
8,MO 
3,453.250 
$505,572 
2,870 
1,401,790 
171,074 
1.185 
357,828 
47,020 
2,07.1 
1.141,985 
117.115 
1,295 
893,120 
114,003 
1 
712 
TV 
CO 
21,195 
1,803 
1 
390 
17 
41:1 
247,730 
28.261 
o,t;«; 
2,081,257 
338,321 
51 
21,299 
3,173 
. 71X1 
830,331 
46,011 
. 305 
.53,574 
16.093 
. 28 
10193 
1,015 
377 
305,93(1 
33,8,19 
2 
180 
30 
. 82 
33,318 
3.667 
278 
94,557 
10.207 
22 
12,494 
1,234 
.25,035 
11,001,151 
$1,527,305 
1870. 
No. or 
Weight, 
EntM 
Bull*. 
Ibt. 
Vnlnn. 
. 4,762 
1,913.696 
$274,305 
. 1,142 
841,189 
90,318 
87 
23,244 
2,839 
. 908 
388,367 
48,352 
687 
418,086 
50,300 
" ' ■ 
■ —. ■■ 
15 
6,17!) 
010 
■ - ~ 
■ 
- 
. 285 
252,123 
28,812 
8,369 
3,387,069 
388,762 
_ 43 
10.088 
794 
507 
293.700 
30,009 
80 
17,139 
5,228 
— 
— 
_ 
— 
' 
—— 
~n 
9,010 
ilii 
.10,899 
7,5599196 
*928,639 
.13,103 
— 
*1,099,508 
* The above appears to have been written before it 
was known by the writer that the skin wool amend¬ 
ment had passed Congress. 
Perfect Fiber. 
No fiber is perfect for manufacture unless 
it. is even— i. e., uniform in size and strength 
through its whole length ; and no fiber can 
be so unless the sheep on which it grew has 
been kept the entire year in uniform, healthy 
condition—not sick for a clay, nor subjected 
to any violent, or extreme change in food. 
In older countries, where growers are stimu¬ 
lated to excel in the quality of their product 
by competition, and economy in everything 
is the order of the day, these things are un¬ 
derstood and regarded. Any neglect there 
means positive loss of money. It is so here 
to a greater extent, than many realize.— Prai¬ 
rie Farmer. 
Sheep in Summer. 
Btieep ought to have access to water, 
though they get along better than any other 
stock without it. If, however, we have a 
succession of dry, Cloudy nights, when no 
dew falls, they may suffer if not watered; 
and pains should he taken to drive them to 
water o^ce, daily. The Fly will begin to 
cause them trouble. If drouth and the lack 
of upland pasturage force the sheep into the 
wet grounds, foot-rot may appear, and any 
lameness should he investigated and proper 
remedies employed. Early lambs should he 
weaned, by separating them from the ewes, 
and putting them on good, fine pasture, out 
of hearing of each other’s call. Look to the 
ewes in full milk; hurdle them and draw the 
milk, manipulating the udders if red and 
swollen .—American Agriculturist. 
Corn wo Ids for Arizona. 
Burdett Loomis, Windsor Locks, Ct., 
has sold to P. R. Skinner and J. E, Dunham, 
of New York, a car-load of filly pure bred 
Cotswold rams, to be taken to an extensive 
ranch recently acquired by these gentlemen 
in Arizona. They go by rail to Sheridan, 
Kansas, the terminus of the Kansas and 
Pacific railroad, and from there arc to he 
driven across the country to Santa Fe, 
New Mexico, and thence to Arizona. Tho 
purchasers will use them to cross upon the 
native sheep to grow combing wool. They 
have possession of a tract of 100,000 acres of 
land, and tho climate is admirably adapted 
to sheep raising. The experiment is one re¬ 
quiring no little enterprise as well as capi¬ 
tal, and we shall hope to receive intelligence 
tis to to Its success hereafter.— Exchange. 
-»»» 
LETTER FROM G. W. BOND & CO. 
We published, last week, a statement 
from the New York Economist in regard to 
the alleged failure of George \V Bond & 
Co., of Boston, and its supposed causes. 
That firm thus reply to the statements and 
imputations of the Economist : 
Boston, July to, 1870. 
Editobs 1 : . S. Economist (.'rntlwnni Our 
attention bits just been culled to n paragraph in 
your paper of thoKitb inst., rulnting to tin- re¬ 
cent, frauds of Thomas Hilsco, of Philadelphia, 
a member of our firm, which contains such 
talse. dcfaniiitory and Injurious stiteiuouts ro- 
Viirdimr ourselves as to compel ns to demand of 
yoil til. once a complete retraction. It is not 
true, as therein suited, that the cause of Hit- 
son's misconduct. Was “ clllferenee of opinion he- 
t ween Messrs. Geo. W. Bond A Co. and Messrs. 
Thomas Hllsen Sc Oo„ growing nut of tran¬ 
sactions of Mck-i-s. (Jen. VV. Bond & Co., with tho 
late than mid fidlnroof Messrs. I. It. Jones, Jr., 
A- Co." The entire Indebtedness of Jones A Co. 
to our firm. JIH stated in your own columns, was 
less than *84,000, almost all of which was se¬ 
cured by consi(fnuiciit9 of wool. There was 
ooildng in these transactions that caused any 
trouble between Hllsen ami our firm. Hut in 
pursuance of a plan carefully ami secretly laid 
without havimr given lus partners any cause to 
suspect him, lie bought a htrjre quantity of 
goods ou tlie credit of flu; firm, turned Ihem 
and Ids prlvulc effect* into money, ami lied to 
Europe, leaving IIS to bear, ns best we muv, the 
terrible shock to our business, credit and stand¬ 
ing. "Neither Is it true, ns stated in your paper, 
that “ Messrs. Horn I & Co. are thus early in the 
market. offering- 80 cents on the dollar,” No 
Offer whatever has been made. Your entire 
article, m its expressed sympathy for a de¬ 
limiter, and false Insinuations regarding our 
Arm, Is uuwmnliy your position ns a leading 
business Journal. We have no right, however, 
to fuel fault with your sentiments, but we can 
ami do Insist that you shall not pervert the 
tacts. Respectfully, Guo. W. Bond & Co. 
i 
arm Eronmnn. 
A NEW CORN SHELLER. 
The labor of shelling the large corn crop 
of this country has, anti must continue to he 
no inconsiderable tax upon the crop. The 
intelligent farmer has readily adopted .such 
improved methods as have been presented. 
We have yet vivid reiiiianbrai.ee of the old 
style spindle or row pin, and the iron handle 
of the “ Dutch Slice” or fire shovel, with the 
use of which the evenings of the farm family 
were enlivened by the shelling bee. Later, 
tlieir place was supplied with the different 
hand and power shelters now in so general 
use. Several cheap si idlers have been in¬ 
troduced, though thus far no one of them 
has so far stood the test of practical use as 
to remain a favorite in the market. 
TjUDI.OW’S DOLLAR CORN SHELLER. 
We present, this week, an illustration of 
a new candidate for public favor in Ludlow’s 
Dollar Corn Slieller. This is a very simple 
machine, consisting of one connected piece 
of wire so arranged about the handle as to 
form stiff springs, to which are attached 
malleable iron jaws, which are set. so as to 
form a sort of screw, through which the ear 
is pulled, as shown in the cut; the natural 
rotary motion given in passing acting to re¬ 
move the kernels. The machine, it is claim¬ 
ed, will shell a bushel in ten minutes, and 
will he found effective in shelling unseasoned 
corn without injury. Its low price will 
place it within the reach of all, and its 
merits can readily he tested without a large 
outlay of capital. The reader will have no 
difficulty in understanding the construction 
and operation of the sheller from a study of 
the engraving. 
SUBSOILING vs. SPADING. 
You have given a brief notice, stating that 
I said that I had fully tested the relative 
merits of the spade and subsoil plow, in cul¬ 
tivating the garden, and that 1 gave the pref¬ 
erence to the plow. 
To properly qualify this remark, I will 
inform you that it must be understood as re¬ 
ferring to my own subsoil plow. I have in¬ 
vented a plow upon an entirely new plan. 
Its principle of operation is different from 
anything of the kind otherwise introduced. 
My plow under-cuts as much space as the 
largest furrow plow will uncover. It, raises 
all that it under cuts two inches, and re¬ 
moves it three inches to the right. Thus, it 
furnishes an opportunity for air and water 
to penetrate to the full depth to which the 
subsoil plow penetrates. 
It. will be obvious to you, and to all who 
understand the importance of deep tillage, 
that subsoiling, ns an incipient step, posses¬ 
ses every advantage. My plow, with a slight 
change, may be made to open the earth to 
the depth of fully three feet. 
As an after operation, if the idea of trench¬ 
ing be an object of importance, everybody 
can sec Unit the expense is reduced to a com¬ 
parative I rifle. 
But I will here suggest that, in my judg¬ 
ment, underdraining, in most places, is an 
essential prerequisite. All excess wl water 
should he furnished with the opportunity of 
a ready escape; otherwise we form a deep 
mud-hole. Rufus Feet. 
Castile, July, 1870. 
e ©orsfinan. 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
A Paper Devoted to Veterinary Science. 
A correspondent asks l|S to give the 
address of some, paper devoted to veterinary 
science. We know of none. But Wilkes’ 
Spirit of the Times, New York city, has the 
best Veterinary Department we know of. 
Fixtnln In Hornes. 
J. II. C\, in Southern Farmer, says:—“ For 
fistula in horses, take a vial about the size of 
a twenty-live cent mustang liniment bottle 
and fill it up with iodine, and take a pair of 
shears and clip off the hair ou the affected, 
place before it breaks, and rub It three times, 
and I will insure it to cure every time.” 
To Prevent n Colt Hucliing bin Slicaiti. 
You may tell II. Ramsey that it he will 
place a leather head-stall on his colt, with 
a few sharpened lath nails driven through 
the nose piece, so arranged that they will 
prick Ids flunks when ho attempts to get 
hold of his sheath, he will soon get over the 
habit.—c. D. s. 
Soiling Horses. 
Judge Graves of Herkimer recently sta¬ 
ted that lie soiled a horse from early in July 
until the grass ceased to gr ov in the tall, 
from one-eighth of an acre of land. The 
land was in good condition and was seeded 
to orchard grass. Each morning while the 
dew was on lie cut enough to lust until the 
next morning. Besides the grass, he fed but 
one peek of oats a day. 
(toixliiion Powder* for Horses. 
The Wisconsin Farmer says:—II. Q. Rob¬ 
inson of Oasis, Wis., sends us the following 
recipe and directions:—“ Two ounces resin, 
two do. saltpeter, two do. antimony (black 
is best,) two do. sulphur, two do saleratus, 
two do. ginger, one do. copperas. One tnble- 
spoonful to a dose once a day for three days; 
then skip two or three days, and give it 
again till you have in this way given nine 
doses, or more if you like. It should be 
given spring and fall, or at any time when 
the animal is not doing well. It costs but a 
trifle.” 
Wliitc Haim on Horse*. 
A correspondent of the Massachusetts 
Ploughman gives this remedy for while 
bail's that appear on homes from the use or 
wear of the saddle or harness:—“Take a 
piece of fresh butter or lard, large enough to 
give the spot a thorough greasing; rub the 
same with the hand until it becomes quite 
hot, repeating the operation at least three 
or four times, and the white hairs will soon 
come out and hairs of natural color take 
their place. I have tried this on several 
horses, and never knew it to fail. I think 
the best time to do it. is in the winter, before 
the new’ coat starts.” 
Cause of Horses’ Slobbering. 
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga¬ 
zette gives his views upon this Subject, as 
follows: 
“ The clover acts as a glandular stimulant 
to t.he burse’s mouth, the same us horse rad¬ 
ish does in the human. In other words, it, 
is a sulivant. The cure is easy. Don’t let 
your horse eat red clover if you don’t want 
him to slobber.” 
According to our recollection, horses have 
been troubled with slobbering in pasture 
where no clover could he found, which may 
not prove that clover does not produce it, 
but is satisfactory evidence that other sub¬ 
stances produce the same effect. 
