THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February Ifj 
112 
THE TUNIS BREED OF SHEEP. 
Compared Wiih the Dorsets. 
On page 78 Clark Allis, of Medina, N. 
Y., had a short note about his experi¬ 
ence with Tunis sheep. On January 24 
I went out to Mr. Allis’s farm to see these 
sheep and their lambs. To one who has 
never seen a “lambery” the business of 
producing these woolly babies Is very 
interesting. I am not going to try to 
tell how the business is done, for every 
visit I make to an expert in any line 
makes the fact clearer that high-grade 
success cannot be passed from one man 
to another on paper. It must, first of 
all, be in the man himself, and the man 
BACK VIEW OF TUNIS LAMBS. Fig. 41. 
must have the patience and industry 
needed to work it out. 
Of course the most important thing 
about a “lambery” is to have the lambs 
liorn early, so that they may come to 
marketable size early in the Winter, 
tirades of the Dorset breed of sheep have 
lieen noted for this early habit. When 
Dorset rams are turned in with the ewes 
early in the Summer the chances are 
better that the lambs will begin to come 
early than would be the case with most 
other breeds. The great majority of the 
very early lambs which bring ?9, flO or 
$12 each have, I think, been Dorset 
grades—in fact, the Christmas lamb 
usually carries the Dorset trade marks. 
Mr. Allis says that he tried all breeds of 
mutton sheep that gave any promise of 
earliness, and finally became a “Dorset 
man”—that is, the Dorsets proved most 
profitable for his business. He finally 
heard of the Tunis breed. These sheep 
come from the north of Africa, and there 
are comparatively few of them in this 
country. It was claimed that their wool 
is of very superior quality and that they 
are precocious breeders. They belong to 
the race or family of fat-tailed sheep— 
the tail being broad and fat, and run- 
HOW THE TUNIS DRESS. FiG. 42. 
ning high up to the back. There is an¬ 
other family of fat-tailed sheep found in 
Siberia and Persia. During the Summer, 
when feed is abundant, the tail grows 
to a large size—a great mass of solid fat. 
In Winter, when food is scarce and the 
weather is cold, these Siberian sheep 
actually live partly on the fat stored up 
in the great tail, which is largely ab¬ 
sorbed away. 
Mr. Allis had no desire to make his 
sheep live on their tails, for the inmates 
of a lambery have grain before them all 
the time, but if there was anything that 
would give earlier, stronger, plumper or 
larger lambs than the Dotsets, he want¬ 
ed to give them a chance. He bought a 
small flock of Tunis and turned the ram, 
with a Dorset ram, in with his flock of 
ewes. The Tunis ram would not fight, 
and the Dorset was easily the master, 
yet the majority of the earliest lambs 
were Tunis grades. Mr. Allis says that 
about the middle of last Summer he 
would have sold his Tunis for a song, 
and a poor tune at that. Their good 
qualities were not apparent. Since the 
lambs came, and especially since they 
were sold, he says he would not sell a 
single Tunis. He says he gave both 
breeds a fair chance, and gives the palm 
to the Tunis for good reasons. He was 
prejudiced in favor of Dorsets, and has 
no Tunis for sale. 
1. A majority of the grade lambs 
showed Tunis blood, especially among 
the earlier ones. 
2. The Tunis grades were stronger and 
plumper than those with Dorset blood. 
That was certainly true of those I saw, 
which were of about equal size. 
3. The Tunis lambs sold, as a rule, for 
more money. The commission men and 
customers picked them out as best. I 
saw bills, commission returns and let¬ 
ters which show this. The fat tail of the 
little Tunis grades, instead of being an 
objection, was considered a delicacy, and 
added to the value of the carcass. 
1 do not wish to start any “boom” for 
the Tunis sheep. When the Dorsets be¬ 
gan to show their value we did our best 
to make people acquainted with them. 
HAPPY LITTLE STRANGERS. Fig. 43. 
Air. Allis has been raising early lambs 
for several years, and he gets the high¬ 
est prices. I give his experience without 
argument. There are not many regis¬ 
tered Tunis in the country. The danger 
of a “boom” is that a lot of poor 
scrubs or grades will be brought here by 
unscrupulous rascals and sold as pure 
Tunis. The trade in Dorsets was badly 
injured by just such methods. 
The pictures show sheep and lambs at 
the Allis farm. Figs. 41 and 42 show 
how the Tunis grades dress, back and 
front. Pig. 43 shows the characteristic 
shape and color of the little Tunis as 
compared with Dorsets. Red or red and 
white is the Tunis color. Other Tunis 
lambs are shown at Fig. 44. The little 
fellow shown at Fig. 46 has deceived the 
old ewe. The red lamb died, but his skin 
was taken off, and put on a white one, 
and the fond and foolish sheep at once 
adopted the little stranger. h. w. c. 
Leaves and Hogs.— Regarding your leaf¬ 
gathering enterprise, when we gathered 
leaves we made work of It In this way: 
Men and boys went to woods with wooden 
rakes, at odd times, and raked leaves In 
big heaps; If the weather was damp took 
team and wagon with double box, and 
loaded leaves right into wagon with oat 
forks. One man was In box to pack down 
leaves. If dry, leaves lay In heaps until a 
convenient time and damp day came. A 
load of leaves made a big pile when thrown 
into the pigpen, and how the porkers did 
enjoy working them over for acorns, pieces 
of decaying wood, etc. There was no play 
about this, but we secured the leaves by 
scores of loads. The underbrush was 
cleared out by working the same ground 
over year after year. The resultant fer¬ 
tilizer removed from the hogpen In the 
Spring more than paid for the work. 
New Jersey. d. ■. k. 
FOR CHILDREN 
Nothing, that comes in a 
bottle, is more important for 
cliildren than Scott’s emulsion 
of cod-liver oil. 
And “important” means that 
it keeps them in even health. 
Whenever they show the least 
disturbance of even balance of 
health, it promptly restores 
them. 
It is to be used as a food, 
whenever their usual food does 
not quite answer the purpose 
of food. 
We’ll send you a little to try, if you like. 
SCOTT & BOWNE, 409 Pearl street. New York. 
This is a Humane Nation! 
This is a Scientific Era! 
No man should use 
the harsh, burning, 
scabbing mineral ap- 
plications on his 
horse thathe wouldn’t 
dare use on himself I 
Veterinary 
Pixine 
Heals by granula¬ 
tions from beneath 
the surface. It’s pene¬ 
trating, soothing, 
antiseptic healing 
power is infallible. 
Cures old sores and 
chronic .scratches 
that defied ever y 
known treatment. 
Cures speed cracks, 
grease heel, inflammatory swellings, mange and 
all skin disease, on horse, cow, sheep or dog. 
Money back if it fails. 
■2 oz., 25c.; 8 oz., 50c.; 5-lb. pkge., $4. 
At all druggists and dealers or sent prepaid. 
TROY CHEMICAL CO., TROY, N. Y. 
BneSjllce,scale,blight, 
bla^ knot, yellows. 
fuDgus, etc., are all 
_killed byspraylDgwith 
EMPIRE KING and 
GARFIELD KNAPSACK 
Spr«yere.M 1* thoroughly andmake fine apray. 
No scorching. No rubber or leather valves— 
something better. Brush keeps strainer free. 
Book on Spraying and agents’ terms free, 
FIKLB KOKCE PL’JII’ CO.tlPAXY, 
2 market St. Loekport, N. ¥, 
THE “HAHDIE” 
Spray Pumps 
are the most powerful, easiest 
worked, most modern, simplest 
in construction and moderate in 
price. DON’T BUY A PUMP 
until you have sent for our cata¬ 
logue “C” and treatise on dis¬ 
eases of fruits, etc., sent FREE. 
HARDIE SPRAY PUMP MEG. 
CO., Detroit, Mich. 
PULVERIZER, CLOD 
SKNJ) I'OK 
ClllClLAKS. 
The Peterson Mk. Co. 
Leads Them 
All. 
K EXT, 
CRUSHER & 
ROLLER. 
You Send No Money 
Until Goods Arrive. 
All Steel and Iron but the 
pole. Easily handled by two 
horses Send for delivery 
prices on all sizes. Disc 
Harrows, Lever Harrows, 11-foot Seeders. 
EMPIRE MEG. CO., 62 River St., Sterling, lU. 
Two hundred bushels of po¬ 
tatoes remove eighty pounds 
of ‘ ‘actual ’ ’ Potash from the 
soil. Unless this quantity 
is returned to the soil, 
the following crop will 
materially decrease. 
We have books telling about 
composition, use and value of 
fertilizers for various crops. 
They are sent free. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS. 
93 Nassau St., 
New York. 
Sugar Beets — 
tlie largest yield per acre of the best 
and smoothest form, and very rich in 
sugar are grown by using 
Nitrate of Soda 
as a fertilizer. Apply just when the 
beets are getting well started in the 
row. The results will surprise you. 
Send to John A. Myerx, 12 O John 
St., Netv York, for a free copy of book, 
"Food foi' Plants.” Tells about this 
and much else of value. Nitrate for 
sale by fertilizer dealers ev&rytojiere. 
Wrtio at onco for L/mt of Dmalora, 
"We are the largest manu¬ 
facturers of Steel Wheels 
and Truck Wagons in the 
World. "Write for Catalogue. 
Ha«ana Clll.) Hatal Wheel Co. 
WE'LL PAY THE FREIGHT 
and send4 Buggy Wheel., tire on, for $7.86. with 
axles welded and set, >10,60. All sizes and 
grades, to 4 In. tread, steel or rubber tires. 
. Write for catalogue giving Instructions for 
: ordering and howto obtain a Wagon Umbrella Free. 
; Kubber tired Bugglei $68. Bnggy Tope $6.65. No. 2 
WheeUfor repair work, $5,50. Order at once to get 
these prices. w, R, BOOB, Center Hall, Pa. 
Hench & Dromgold’s 
GRAIN fk^iU 
aniFERTILIZERlirill 
Positively the neatest, lightest, and strongest grain 
drill on the — FULLY 
market.Many GUARAHTE 
points of 
superiority t 
it is geurod 
from centre. 
Quantity of 
grainand fer¬ 
tilizer can be 
changed i 
while in op¬ 
eration with¬ 
out the use of 
gear wheels. 
Accurate in quantity, A 
trial will convince. Agents 
wanted. Send for Catalogue F 
HENCH & DROMGOLD, Hfrs., York, Pa. 
PULVERIZIMG HARROW 
Clod Cruaher 
Leveler 
Agents 
Wanted 
ON 
TRIAL 
To be returned at iny 
expense if not satisfactory. 
The best pulverizer and cheapest Riding 
Harrow on earth. We also make walking 
Acmes. The Acme crushes, outs, pulverizes, 
turns and levels all soils for all purposes. 
Made entirely of cast steel and wrought 
iron— indestructible. 
Catalog and Booklet, “An Ideal Harrow," by 
Henry Stewart, mailed free. 
Free on board at New York, Chicago, Columbu8,Louls- 
ville, Kansas City, Minneapolis, San Francisco, etc. 
DUANE H. NASH, Sole Mfr., 
MUlingtou, New Jersey, and Chicago, Ill. 
PENNSYLVANIA 
WHEEL LEVER 
WSPRINC TOOTH 
cW HARROWS 
Have Proven Themselves the Best 
for all kinds of cultivation.on all kinds of land and 
in every variety of soil. Being all steel they are 
at once the lightest and strongest. They pull so 
light, too, having swivel shoes in front and three 
wheels behind. Rachet levers set the teeth at any 
angle—deep or shallow, or throw them clear out 
of the way in moving from place to place, or in 
clearing from rubbish. V\’ear the teeth closer than all 
others. Adjustable hitch. One, two or three sections. 
Send for Large Illustrated Catalog of Implements, 
Engines, Saw Mills and Threshing Machinery, FREE. 
A.B.FARQUHAR GO., Ltd., York, Pa. 
