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‘ Sltccp tnisbanbrn. 
^ H. S. RANDALL, LL. D., EDITOR, 
Or CORTLAND VlLT.ACK, CORTLAND COUNTY, NlW YORK, 
LONG WOOL SHEEP IN LARGE 
FLOCKS. 
In ostensible opposition to the opinion ex¬ 
pressed by us that “ Long wool slieep (Cots- 
wolds, Leicester*, Lincolns, &c..,) will not 
bear herding together in large numbers,” 
i. e., bear being kept together in the same 
Hock without, any division, throughout the 
entire j r ear and from year to year—ns large 
flocks of Merinos are herded in various 
countries—the Editor of the Country Gen¬ 
tleman submits some results of personal ob¬ 
servations made by him on the subject. Re¬ 
ferring to certain published statements con¬ 
cerning the feeding of 400 or 560 Leicester 
sheep by Mr. VVinnk, lie says that the same 
gentleman “ has often fed a much larger 
number than this for months together, 
within the limits of a few contiguous sheds 
or yards, with no suh-division that entails 
any objection to the breed, as it is no move 
than the mere convenience of feeding and 
the use of buildings of moderate size would 
naturally dictate with any sheep.” As it 
does not appear from this that Mr. Winne’s 
fattening sheep are kept together in a single 
flock any portion of the year, ami us it does 
distinctly appear that they arc divided into 
different flocks or lots “ for months together,” 
it is difficult to discover what proof of their 
herding qualities is to he deduced from tin* 
facts stated. 
The editor of the Country Gentleman 
next cites an English example of herding, 
and we quote bis language entire : 
“ W- remember well the farm of Mr. Tour of 
Aylesby in Lincolnshire, to which w« have often 
referred before, and where, in the summer of 
1859, we found a flock of one thousand breeding 
ewes, as immy more yearlings,and as many more 
iambs together with about one hundred rams of 
different -ages In all, say 3,100 head. And those 
were no ordinary sheep. On the contrary, it. 
was, and still remains, one of the best flocks of 
Leicester* in the United Kingdom, drawing 
breeders from every pari of tin* country al the 
anmriil lettings of nuns. Mr. To UR. upas farming 
iiboni :J,100 acre* Of land, anil rc-eularly shearing 
2,000 sheep from year to year. Ho did not seem 
to consider It at all a novelty that Hocks of this 
size should In; safely kept.'* 
Here again nothing is stated which even 
implies that the number of sheep ment ioned 
are or were kept together during any portion 
of the year. For all that appears to the 
contrary, they may have been herded in a 
number of different flocks during u part of 
the year, or the whole year. Mr. Tour has 
tfie\ti |mtarioii of being an excellent farmer. 
We have not a shadow of doubt that he 
does keep his sheep more or less divided all 
of the time, and especially in winter. II we 
err in this supposition, we hope to he set, 
right by the author of the above reference 
to his flock, or by any other gentleman who 
is in possession of the facts. 
We are not aware of any necessity for an 
attempt to show by examples that one man 
may own, and keep on his own land any 
number of sheep—whether long wools or 
others—provided the body of land is large 
and fertile enough for their subsistence, and 
provided they urn properly herded and 
otherwise managed. Nobody, wo take it, 
disputes this. If Mr. Tour hud twice as 
much land, he doubtless could keep twice 
ns many slieep. But would this in the least 
go to show that four or five thousand prime 
Leicester.* will bear herding together? As 
we have said before, flocks of slieep on the 
same farm or estate may he kept as isolated 
from each other for all practical objects, as 
if they were many miles apart. And we 
have often seen the same done on compara¬ 
tively small farms. 
The editor of l lie Country Gentleman men¬ 
tions no other large flocks of improved long 
wools, but instances a few of “native long 
wools” having “ no special claims to purity 
of blood,” “ native Suffolk sheep not long 
wools,” and other “ breeds and crosses ” of un¬ 
specified blood, seen by him in England. 
This information may he interesting to his 
readers, and lie unquestionably has a right 
to extend his statements in regard to herding 
properties, to as many kinds of sheep as he 
chooses. But we must object to having 
these statements so presented that they ap¬ 
pear, to those who do not read both sides of 
this controversy, to be in reply to contradic¬ 
tory assertions of our own. In our remarks 
which have been made the text of this con¬ 
troversy, we stated no facts and expressed 
no opinions in regard to the herding prop¬ 
erties of any of the kinds of sheep last 
mentioned. 
Mr. J. Mackelcan of Yorkvillo, Canada, 
in a communication published in the Coun¬ 
try Gentleman, Sept. 1, in answer “ toaatalc- 
menf made by I)r. Randall in Moore’s 
lo ral New-Yorker, that long woolcd 
sheep cannot he kept in large flocks,” pro¬ 
ceeds to say ; 
* have seen flocks of Leicester* in Austr 
oi.it, ranged in number from 3,000 to5,0(K) h 
SXHf 1 ’ n °t CDUntlnjr the lambs, anil nodiffjei 
was experienced, so far as I could learn, lr 
them, nor wore any complaints mini 
thrift or healthiness in such flocks. T 
„,!!!!!!Y 1 . 1 , ’ iolu ‘, 1 ' pasturage and larger fold 
muds than the common tine woolcd sheer 
\n> 
“•) 
IPS 
that country; consequently that class of sheep 
(long woolen) were only found profitable to keep 
in the rich, well grassed valleys near the sea- 
const, or in the neighborhood of cities when* a 
demand existed for their mutton. Under the 
Influence of so dry and hot a.climate as that of 
Australia, their wool appears to tic of Inferior 
quality to the same article produced in Britain 
or here. The wool grows harsh and brittle, and 
does not. answer so well for combing purposes. 
The staple also becomes gradually somewhat, 
shortened, and their size reduced , for uunit nf the 
high feeding and extra rare under which oulgcan 
the hex! long woolcd Cheep attain their highest Man¬ 
dat'd af excellence and prove profitable in the long 
run.” 
After making some statements in regard 
to the herding properties of Cheviots and 
Blackfaces, which have no pertinence here, 
he continues: 
“ Many large fanners in Britain count their 
flocks of Leiorsiors and Uotswolds by the thou- 
j sand head, especially on the Wolds and among 
the hills in Cumberland and on the borders of 
England and Scotland. 1 saw 1,000 Cots wolds on 
one farm in (;ioiie«*stershm*. In Canada several 
sheep brooders md large farmers keep long 
woolcd sheep to the number of from 500 to 1,000 
on a single farm. They are well housed in win¬ 
ter, with access to comfortable large yards well 
littered wit h straw, to run into, Too dose eon 
firmrmmfc is found undesirable. No far «.s my 
own observation ex ten/Is, no trouble or losses 
have resulted from keeping long wonted sheep in 
as large flocks as the owner could afford to find 
fond and care for. But they will not thrive well 
without more care and attention than is usually 
bestowed on the common Merinos of the coun¬ 
try. Some green food, such as Swedes or man 
gels, along with their dry fodder, is of much 
benefit to them. * * * * There is no reason 
whatever, so fat* as has been shown, why long 
wonted snoop cannot, he kept in largo flocks.” 
We omit Mr. Mackelcan’s statement in 
regard to his own flock of long wools, as he 
does not mention it ns containing over one 
hundred sheep. We have quoted this writer 
at some length, because he wears an appear¬ 
ance of frankness, and of possessing at least 
considerable general information on the sub¬ 
ject. lie obviously, however, falls into the 
error we have already adverted to, of assum¬ 
ing that because sheep are owned by one 
man and run on his lands, they arc herded 
together or kept, in a flock-. Otherwise he asks 
us to believe that he has, in Australia, in 
more than one instance, seen 8,000 or 5,000 
head of Leiceslcrs kr.pt in one flock, and that 
“ no difficulty was experienced ” in so keep¬ 
ing them, nor any “ complaints made of 
want of thrift,or healthiness in such flocks!” 
This would exhibit herding qualities not 
claimed even for the Merinos, '['hero are 
persons and firms in Australia who own and 
keep on each of their runs more than50,000 
Merinos, But we believe that over 1,500 of 
these are rarely herded or kept together. 
At all events, it. would not be considered the 
best husbandry to keep more together. 
These great, flocks of 50,000 slieep are dis¬ 
tributed and kept at, different stations scat¬ 
tered over runs which not unfrequently ex¬ 
tend along the hanks of streams for fifty 
mile*, and sometimes for considerably more, 
and extending back as far as the lands can 
be pastured, to the divide between them ami 
thfl pasture lands of other water courses. 
Some of the sheep stations on these enor¬ 
mous runs are at a distance from each other 
equal to the distance across several English 
counties! Under such circumstances, there 
is no need or utility or economy in packing 
sheep together In great flocks. We venture 
to say that Mr. Mackelcan did not mean to 
assert that he saw Leicester sheep in Aus¬ 
tralia actually herded, actually kept, to¬ 
gether in flocks ranging from 8,000 to 5,000. 
This would he too preposterous I And in 
regard to the thrift of such numbers as he 
did see together there, he makes a significant 
admission, in his words which wc have placed 
in italics. The same confounding of the 
actual herding of sheep together, with mere¬ 
ly the. keeping of them on the same farm, 
ranch, rim, estate or property, obviously per¬ 
vades Mr. MackE i. can’s whole article. We 
can say again that we have no objection to 
the publication of any amount of such tes¬ 
timony by those and for those who are 
pleased with such statistics; but. we hope 
that it will no longer be claimed or assumed 
that it has any weight or bearing in deter¬ 
mining the herding properties of the sheep 
it pertains to. 
The Country Gentleman says: — “We 
never have heard of any complaint among 
the English and Scotch farmers of Canada 
West, that they cannot, keep there as large 
flocks as their farms will carry.” Mr, 
Mackelcan says: —“In Canada several 
sheep breeders and large farmers keep long 
woolcd sheep to the number of from 500 to 
1,000 on a single farm.” Now we propose 
an amicable reference to our own breeders 
of long wools and to these Canadian farmers, 
who br$ed them and are familiar with their 
management. Let us have the direct results 
of personal experience. Let us judge the 
long wools in this respect, by the evidence 
of their friends. We suppose there are but 
few owners of “ large flocks ” <>f them in the 
United States, and we therefore the more 
earnestly appeal to the. long wool breeders 
and growers of Canada, to give the desired 
information—not to settle a controversy, if 
under the circumstances one can be consid¬ 
ered as existing—but to impart valuable in¬ 
formation and settle an important; fact, in 
sheep husbandry. We propose to simplify 
the matter, to prevent omissions and to ren¬ 
der the collation of the facts more con¬ 
venient, by submitting a series of questions. 
We shall not confine them exclusively to 
herding. The public will desire to know 
iDl/i? 
i 
on what, degree of experience the answers 
are made; aud if the long wools can be 
herded well in large numbers, how it is done. 
We shall be glad to receive, and will properly 
notice replies ft’orn all persons who possess 
’urge, or even moderate or small-sized (locks, 
for should it appear that the long wools 
cannot be her tied well in large numbers, it 
is a good time to learn in how large flocks 
they can be herded. The following ques¬ 
tions are respectfully submitted: 
1. How long have you been familiar with Eng¬ 
lish long wool slieep, such as Uotswolds, Lelees 
tors, Lincolns, &c.? 
2. How long have you owned slieep of any of 
these breeds, mid of which brood? 
3. What bus been about the average number 
kept, by you. since your ownership commenced ? 
\. What is the largest number you ever kept 
together Inono flock, without any division what¬ 
ever between them, summer and winter, day 
and night, for an entire year? Of what blood was 
the slieep so kept? 
5. Whirl similar experiences Iiave you taut in 
other years, and In consecutive yours? 
fi. t f tho number of sheep you thus herded to¬ 
gether for one or more years exceeded in num¬ 
ber 150 or 200, did they continue healt hy and 
thrifty? Did they, in your judgment, during 
such year or years, keep as easy, and keep up as 
well In respect to early maturity, growth and 
condition, as they would lmvo done In smaller 
flocks ? 
7. Will you state your mode of keeping such 
sheep, summer and winter, in respect to extent 
of range of pasturage in summer in respect to 
winter shelter and yard*—lu respect to kind and 
amount of food other than grass and liny given 
to them during any portion of the year? If you 
fed grain, root* or the like, please to mention 
the ucliiul amount fed per diem by mens lira, or 
if their feed was not measured, state the actual 
amount according to your best knowledge and 
belief. 
8. Please state any other facts in your experi¬ 
ence which, in your opinion, tend to exhibit tho 
herding quail ties of long wools. 
It will not he necessary to repeat these 
questions in your reply, if the answers arc 
numbered to correspond with them. Address 
all replies to Henry S. IIandai.l, Cortland 
Village, N. V, Ami we particularly desire 
that every reply bo signed by the name of 
the writer, and that, it give his post-office ad¬ 
dress, in order that we may he able to com¬ 
municate farther with him should it become 
desirable. 
- *-*■* - 
MISSOURI -A CHEERFUL NOTE. 
T notice discouraging accounts all over 
the land about sheep husbandry, great num¬ 
bers dying, etc. For the sake of variety, I 
will show my hand. The deaths in my flock, 
since I have been in this State, (three years,) 
have not exceeded four per cent, per annum. 
Last fall I had over 1,000 head. I put out 
some to winter, and wintered 700 at home- 
800 of them lambs. In May, sheared over 
seven pounds per head, in tho grease, and 
raised 275 lambs. The wool I sold at home, 
at 24 cents—$1.70 per head. 
Here, where I have good outside range, I 
can keep a thousand sheep for $1,100, and 
keep them right. Bo you see I am not losing 
anything on them. In fact, 1 don’t know 
wlmt 1 would do on a 600 acre farm without 
500 or 600 sheep to make way with the 
xv(teds, rough hay, stalks, etc., to say nothing 
about the one and a-half bushels of corn per 
head that I feed them. Of course I have no 
disease among my sheep. Here I will just 
say that I have sent my last wool to a com¬ 
mission man to sell, but you know if a man 
understood his business, and has a good flock 
and a good location, he can raise wool for 
25 cents.— O. If, B., in Western Rural. 
-- 
MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAPHS. 
Business was commenced by Edward 
Harris, at Woonsocket, in 1881, with a 
capital of $3,500, and in a mill with one set 
of woolen machinery. He now owns one 
cotton mill, and three woolen mills. The 
old, or No. 1 mill, is slill occupied, but the 
business is substantially done in No. 2, built 
of stone, and which is five stories high ; No. 
8 mill, five stories high, and constructed of 
brick, and No. 4, a stone mill, six stories in 
bight. The fall of water is 15 feet; the 
horse-power of the cotton mill, 100; steam, 
40; hands in cotton mill, 75; looms, 152; 
spindles, 7,000. The power of the woolen 
mills is;—Water, 850; steam, 100; hands 
employed therein, 475 ; and 21 broad and 82 
narrow looms ore run, with 25 sols of ma¬ 
chinery; 850,000 lbs. of wool are manufac¬ 
tured per year; and 500,000 yards of cloth 
manufactured. 
Machinery lately perfected in England 
spins and weaves from animal hair, of cats 
and rabbits especially, either by itself or with 
a slight admixture of silk, a sort of velvet 
tissue, distinguishable from silk but not in¬ 
ferior in fineness and beauty. The principal 
Colors are black and white, though any color 
or shade common in other fabrics can be im¬ 
parted equally well. 
Owing to the burning of the Hartford 
Carpet Company’s mills, three thousand 
people are said to have left Tariffville, and 
more than a hundred dwellings are now va¬ 
cant in that, village. 
One California sheep rancho includes 
200,000 acres. 
|i/< | piaritm. 
BEE NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Will bees fill the hive before they work in 
the boxes ? A person who kepi bees said 
he fastened a piece of comb in the top of the 
box for a “guide comb.” Will some one 
answer through the Rural New-Yorker? 
—H. E. Field. 
4 
How to Trent Roliber Rees. 
Mrs, Sarah Ridley asks, “How shall I 
treat robber bees?” and adds, “ My bees rob 
each other like tho mischief. Can’t some of 
your readers, having experience, tell me how 
to stop it?” It is something very unusual 
1 for bees to rob each other in the summer 
season. But if, from any reason, forage 
should become scarce, or if honey or other 
liquid sweets have been imprudently ex¬ 
posed near the apiary, the strong slocks are 
apt, to hunt out the weak ones, if there be 
any, and robbing will be the consequence. 
Simply contracting the entrance, so that but 
one bee can pass in at a time, will, under all 
ordinary circumstances, obviate this difficul¬ 
ty* I never yet had a stock, however weak, 
but what would defend itself against all in¬ 
truders, after the entrance had been con¬ 
tracted. But a great many persons, who 
consider themselves bee keepers, are so neg¬ 
ligent with regard to their bees, that they do 
not see them from one week’s end to another. 
In the meantime the bees get, to robbing each 
other, and before their keeper discovers what 
is going on, half a dozen stocks, more or less, 
according to the size of the apiary, have been 
robbed. In such cases, where several stocks 
have already been robbed, simply contract¬ 
ing the entrances will not save weak stocks, 
or those that arc queenless. Entirely close 
such stocks, and after providing sufficient 
ventilation, remove them to a dark, cool 
place in tho cellar. After tho robbing lias 
ceased, they may be returned to their origi¬ 
nal stands. They should not be confined to 
their hives for more than three days at a, 
time. Bring them out an hour before sun¬ 
set, opening the entrance, that they may 
have a chance to fly. If again attacked, they 
may be returned to the cellar. 
Feeding lire* lu Mummer. 
Silas G. Thompson writes: — “I often 
see directions for feeding bees in winter; 
but when forage is scarce, is there anything 
we can give our bees to enable them to lay 
up their own stores for winter in summer ¥ 
If so, I should he glad to know wlmt it is." 
I know of no feed, except honey, that can 
he fed to bees in quantities, to he stored in 
the combs. Every prudent apiarian will al¬ 
ways have some honey on hand, to be fed in 
case of emergency. Honey fed to bees when 
forage is cut abort from any cause, is of 
great value. Four ounces, fed to each stock 
daily, will keep them in good condition,and 
breeding will continue without interruption. 
Plain white candy may lie fed to bees in the 
fall if they are short of honey. 
YVImi I/* ITopolia Made off 
A. F. G., Alton, HI., asks“ What is pro¬ 
polis (or bee glue) made of? Where do the 
bees get it?” Propolis is a resinous gum, 
collected by the bees, from the leaves, limbs 
and trunks of trees. The different varieties 
of poplar are said to yield the largest 
amounts. Bees use larger quantities of pro¬ 
polis during the month of August than at 
any other season of the year. 
How Far will Bee* no for Honey ? 
P. R. J., Ithaca, N, Y., asks:—“ How far 
will bees go for honey, and how far ought 
they to go, in order to secure the best re¬ 
sults?” Bees \oill go a distance of three 
miles for honey, if they cannot find any 
nearer their hives. Bees should not he ob¬ 
liged to go more than a mile and a-half to 
work profitably. I have known of instances 
of bees going that distance while working 
on basswood, and increase in weight from 
two to five pounds daily. 1 have often seen 
statements about bees going live or six miles 
for honey, but I have never seen anything 
in my own experience that would confirm 
such statements. 1 have, however, known 
of instances where, during a protracted spell 
of dry weather, bees have brought water a 
distance of four miles. 1 think that a mile 
and a-half is the maximum distance that 
bees should go for honey, in order to he very 
profitable to their owner.—II. A. B., South 
Ha ve n , Mich. 
Tin* Willow lor Bee Fornare. 
We notice in the Rural New-Yorker 
communications asking what is the best 
food for honey bees. It may be of some 
value to your readers to know that the tree 
known as the “Pussy Willow” furnishes 
for bees exceedingly rich and much loved 
food for a space of three weeks, or a month 
at the very time they are considerably in 
need of supplies, viz: from the latter part, 
of March to near the last of April. We 
have a number of these trees in our lawn, 
and they are every spring literally covered 
with bees (during the whole period of their 
bloom,) that come from a distance of from 
three to four and one-half miles.— Claude 
G. Freeman, Beard's Station, Kg. 
Why Do Not Beet* Work in Boxes. 
Why don’t my bees work in their boxes ? 
My hives are the common box hives, twelve 
by fourteen inches. Are my hives too large? 
Onitu I’crclin Combs. 
I wish to say to Mr. CJuinby that, I think 
that, any one that, has time to do so, can in¬ 
vent bee comb for honey out of gtitta perch a 
or out of some such material, Hint would be 
a great saving, for it could be emptied at 
pleasure and would last a long time.—I owa, 
Benton, lmm. 
(fbt jSafimtlist 
NOTES FOR NATURALISTS. 
TrnppiiiK Mink nml iMu«kint«. 
In answer to the inquiry of J. C. B., 
(Rural New-Yorker, Aug. 20,) in regard 
to baiting and trapping mink and muskrats 
I would say that the best and only trap lit 
for 1130 is the Steel trap. lie should set. it 
near the edge of the water, or a little under 
water, concealed from view; the chain 
should he of sufficient length to allow the 
animal to drown itself, which it invariably 
does. If the chain is too short and the water 
shallow it will gnaw off its legs and escape, 
The bait should never be put mi tho pan of 
the trap, but suspended in such a position 
that the animal must step on the trap to get, 
it. Conceal the trap with old leaves and 
sand; do it,nicely, for the animals are both 
cunning. To attract these animals catch a 
female, skin it; then open the body, follow 
the vagina up until you couie to a little sack 
filled with fluid which squeeze into a bottle 
and preserve for use. When the trap is set, 
and ready, touch the hushes near by with a 
feather dipped ill this fluid and you will in¬ 
variably find a male in your trap next morn¬ 
ing. Use fish for mink and fish or carrot for 
muskrat. 
To make an artificial fluid for attracting 
these animals take powdered musk, five 
grains; oil rhodium, half drachm; alcohol, 
two ounces. Mix and use in the same man¬ 
ner as the other.—J. P., Greenville, Pa. 
C. M. Lane gives his method of catching 
muskrats; — “ Take a small steel trap, set it 
in two or three inches of water In the edge 
of a brook or pond, and bait It with winter 
squash, (after they are ripe; if before, with 
sweet apples, though the latter are not as 
good,) hanging the bait one foot above the 
trap by means of twigs.” 
Remedy for Red Ant*. 
A correspondent of the Country Gentle¬ 
man says:—If the leaves of young ivy nr 
fresh wintergreen are scattered over the 
shelves, it will rout the whole army. Those 
housekeepers who cannot readily obtain 
these leaves, will find that, bits of camphor 
gum scattered over tho shelves will prove an 
antidote, or a sponge can bo sprinkled over 
with sugar, and laid near the war-path. In 
the morning it, will swnrm with the red 
mites; dip it into scalding water, and they 
will never eat sugar, or he eaten as its sub¬ 
stitute. 
|trral ^rdntcchtrc. 
NOTES FOR BUILDERS 
Glniv* Walls for Gnnlenova. 
Among the novelties in garden arrange¬ 
ments an English builder lias lately pa tented 
a system of erecting walls of glass. These 
walls are formed of grooved T-iron. Stands 
of the required bight are fixed at four or five 
feet apart into a foundation of brickwork, 
stone, or blocks of wood, and bound to¬ 
gether at the top by a coping which projects 
three inches on each side. Into the grooves 
rough plate glass is placed, being held in 
position by a packing of felt, the slabs being 
butt-jointed; and thus, when the coping is 
put on, the work is complete. Nothing can 
be more simple than the arrangement and 
construction of these walls, and they are un¬ 
exceptionable in point of appearance. They 
are open to objections, but may be useful 
under some circumstances. 
To Htnin nutternin in Imitation of Black 
Walnut. 
A correspondent of the Scientific Amer¬ 
ican says“ To stain butternut in imitation 
of black walnut, wash the wood thoroughly 
with lime water (Liquor calcic, u. s. ?) and 
varnish or polish. This will give a perfect 
imitation of the fine lines mid grains, as de¬ 
sired. Have never experimented on other 
soft woods. Cherry washed with lime water 
will make good mahogany.” 
--■ 
Architectural Inquiries. —Will your contribu¬ 
tor, F. B. C., who gave a plan of a cheap cottage 
in last week's Run At, New-Yorker, be kind 
enough to state the probable cost, of sucli a 
house, say in Northern New Jersey, aud oblige 
one of your readers.—s. e. l . 
