1858 . 
THE CULTIVATOR 
249 
Shipment of South Down Sheep to California. 
Messrs. Luther Tucker & Son —I witnessed some 
few days since, the departure of a lot of South Down 
sheep for California, on board the steamer Moses Tay¬ 
lor; and it was doubly gratifying to me to know that 
they were from the farm of Mr. J. C. Taylor of Holm- 
del, Monmouth Co., N. J. They consisted of eight 
rams and two ewes. The price obtained for them in 
cash, before they were delivered on shipboard, was the 
highest average price ever received in this country—a 
much higher average than that of my ram sale of 
1856. They were purchased by Messrs. J. W. Mowe 
and J. W. Haines, of Sacramento, Cal., owners of 
some thousands of sheep, Mexican and American mix¬ 
ed, and they want these South Down rams to cross for 
improving mutton. 
I forward you a block of Mr. Taylor’s South-Down 
ram “ Master Fordham,” he being one of the lot sold. 
The price obtained for him was $300, being one hun¬ 
dred dollars more than any South-Down ram has sold 
for which was bred in this country. Mr. Taylor was 
induced to sell this ram, owing to his having secured 
from Mr. Webb, a ram, which is now afloat, known to 
be the highest priced and finest qualified South-Down 
ram ever shipped to this country. Mr. Taylor’s flock 
being established as a full bred Webb flock and nothing 
else in it, Mr. Webb has secured to Mr. Taylor this 
sheep, to breed upon the get of the celebrated imported 
bucks “Young York” and “Frank,” and also to a few of 
the get of the American bred ram “ Master Fordham,” 
as he at the time of his shipment to California, weighed 
more than any of the other celebrated rams at the 
same age, and equalled, if not surpassed, them in form 
and beauty. Mr. Taylor’s sales for the last two years, 
notwithstanding the hard times for fancy articles, have 
fully established his success as a breeder. L. G. Mor¬ 
ris. Mount Fordham , July 22. 
A New Kind of Wileat. 
Messrs. Tucker & Son —I send you Herewith some 
wheat, called “ Goose Wheat.” It was found in the 
crops of wild geese, shut on a desolate island in the 
North Pacific, and planted here last year. It is known 
to yield well, and the straw to be good fodder, about 
equal to hay. It is said to be equal to rice when crack¬ 
ed and boiled. It is also said to be difficult to grind it 
fine on acount of its hardness. It is presumed that it 
will do well on the old rye-fields of the Eastern States. 
It is known to make good bread, of a yellowish color. 
It is not known if best in your climate to plant in fall 
or spring; let half be planted this fall, and the other 
in the spring, and mark the difference. I am of the 
opinion that it will be a valuable grain to the New 
England States and New-York. Please to experiment 
with it yourself, or give it to some one who will do so 
properly. I am told that the straw when green, is 
equal to the Chinese sugar cane for its saccharine sap. 
A. K. Benton. Campo Seco , Calaveras Co., Gala 
[We are much obliged to our correspondent for the seed 
enclosed with the above. We shall place it in safe 
hands for trial, and report the results another year.] 
----- 
Chester Co. (Pa.) Ag. Society. —We are indebted 
to the Treasurer, J. Lacey Darlington, Esq., for the 
Premium List of this Society, whose Fair, which is to be 
held at West-Chester on the 1st and 2d of October, we 
hope to have the pleasure of attending. We tender 
the Managers of the Society our thanks for their liberal 
appreciation of our Journals, manifested by placing 
one hundred copies of the Country Gentleman and 
sixty of The Cultivator, on their Premium List. 
The Vermont State Fair is to be held at Bur¬ 
lington on the 14th and 17th Sept., and we doubt not 
will be largely attended by the farmers of Eastern and 
Northern New-York, as a liberal list of premiums is 
offered for horses, cattle and sheep from out of the 
State. The Address is to be delivered by Hon. Jacob 
Collamer. 
