128 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
blood merino ewes which I have sold within three or 
four years, and about fifty pure blood merino bucks with¬ 
in about five years, I do not know nor do I believe that 
there is a pure blood merino in the United States, besides 
those which I own. 
The reason for this opinion is, that from 1823 to 1836, 
the rage for Saxony sheep was so great that few or none 
of our wool growers would breed from merino bucks, 
who could get Saxony; and after the large importation 
of Saxony in 1825 and 1S26, the Saxonies or their crosses 
were within the reach of almost every breeder. From 
1838, as the different prices of wool were in no fair pro¬ 
portion to the difference of its quality, the light wool 
Saxony fleeces got daily more and more out of repute un¬ 
til we are finally getting into the opposite extreme, and 
are giving up the fine, soft felting wools for the coarser 
and harsher and heaviest fleeces. This is a great error, 
because fine wools must always be in demand for our su¬ 
perfine broadcloths and cassimeres, and with a proper se¬ 
lection of bucks and ewes, fleeces averaging three pounds 
weight, may be as easily grown of fine, soft, silky wool, 
possessing the felting property in the greatest degree, as 
can be from sheep which yield only two pounds and a 
quarter to two pounds and a half a fleece. 
In 1810 a very intelligent London wool broker, who 
was sent to Lisbon for the purchase of wool for several 
English manufacturing establishments, which was princi¬ 
pally sent there for sale, during that year, in consequence 
of the French being in possession of the North of Spain, 
informed me that the Leonesa wool possessed the felting 
property in a greater degree than the Saxony, and that it 
was generally used in England for the manufacture of 
superfine cloths in preference to the Saxony. Since that 
time, the Saxony doubtless has been very much impro¬ 
ved, and may have attained to equal perfection in this re¬ 
spect. I think there is a general error prevailing in our 
country in regard to wool. Light fleeces and fine wool 
are almost universally considered as synonymous. A 
flock of sheep that will yield three pounds of wool by be¬ 
ing evenly fed summer and winter, and kept in fair stock 
case, by being half starved both summer and winter, may 
be reduced to two pounds. Now no one who knows 
any thing about wool, will undertake to contend that this 
half-starved and sickly growth of wool will make as 
strong.and durable a cloth as will a healthy growth of 
wool from the same sheep; nor will the cloth made from 
the starveling wool, handle so soft and well as that made 
from the healthy wool. Sheep, too, which have been 
well pastured in summer and half-starved in winter, 
which is no uncommon case, in keeping more stock than 
our winter fodder will maintain, will have a very une¬ 
qual growth of wool; the summer growth will be strong 
and flexible, while the winter growth, though a shade 
finer in the fibre, will be dry and tender; and such wool 
will not make cloth which is strong and soft to the touch. 
The Saxony manufacturers understand this principle well, 
and select accordingly, and hence make more durable 
cloths than the English; and they handle as well, not¬ 
withstanding the superior finish of the English. Yet we 
hear our wool buyers crying out, fine wool, sir! two 
pounds and a quarter, two pounds and a half, which seems 
to be their principal standard for fine wool; and accord¬ 
ing to this standard, the wool of a flock of sickly starvel¬ 
ings, as brittle as rotten straw, would be the acme of per¬ 
fection. 
I think I have now answered all your questions, and 
if I have tresspassed too far upon your patience, I hope to 
find an apology in the solicitude which you evinced to 
obtain full information on the subject. Since beginning 
this letter, I have looked over some letters and papers, 
touching the number of merinos exported to this country, 
which has enabled me to correct an error in my letter to 
Mr. Calvin Benton in 1836, respecting the number ship¬ 
ped, and which error I fell into from trusting altogether 
to my memory. Respectfully, Wm. Jarvis. 
CULTURE OF COTTON IN GEORGIA. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —About the middle of 
January, 1843, I moved to this place, which is considered 
by the neighbors, the poorest plantation in the neighbor¬ 
hood, it having been in constant cultivation for upwards 
of twenty years, without rest or manure. It is poor pin 
land, but lies almost level, and is easy to cultivate. I 
very soon became a subscriber for your valuable Cultiva¬ 
tor, and noticing Dr. Cloud’s improved plan of raising 
cotton, I was induced to try one acre. Not having the 
proper kind of compost, I used for broad-cast, raw stable 
manure, and in each hill half a gallon of such as I could 
gather in the barn-yard, and treated it throughout after 
the Dr.’s plan. From insects and other causes, there 
was 568 missing hills; from this acre I gathered 1,428 
lbs. seed cotton. In August, we had a slight drouth; the 
cotton turned yellow, and cast a great many of the balls 
and squares; this I think was occasioned by the raw sta¬ 
ble manure. 
I also planted six acres four and a half feet by three, 
and put in each hill half a gallon of barn yard manure, 
not having any for broadcast cultivation, nearly the same 
as the above; the yield was above a thousand pounds per 
acre. The balance of my cotton was planted in the ordi¬ 
nary way without manure, 3| feet by 12 inches. From 
this I gathered 515 lbs.; I think there was no difference 
in the quality of the land previous to planting. I am fully 
satisfied, if I had used the proper kind of compost, in¬ 
stead of the unrotted stable manure, and a full stand, I 
would have had 3,000 lbs. instead of 1,428. I am so 
much pleased with the Dr.’s plan, that I expect hereafter 
to practice it as far as my ability will afford; and if I 
could obtain some of Dr. Cloud's improved cotton seed, I 
flatter myself that, in a few years I would be able to as¬ 
tonish some of our cotton planters that adhere so strenu~ 
ously to the old system of kill, cripple and go ahead. 
Houston Co. Ga ., Jan. 30th , 1844. J. D. H. 
PHILOSOPHY OF WOOL—No. III. 
ELASTICITY. 
Messrs. Editors—A writer observes — Ci There are 
two antagonist principles continually at work in every 
part of the frame of every animal; and it is on the deli¬ 
cate adjustment and balance of power between them, that 
all healthy and useful action depends; the disposition to 
give wa)', or submit to some alteration of form when 
pressed upon, and an energy by means of which the ori¬ 
ginal form is resumed, as soon as the external force is re¬ 
moved.” These two principles are beautifully exempli¬ 
fied in the fibres of wool, obviously much dependant on 
the numerous and minute spiral curves, so manifest in the 
Saxon anti Merino. Take for instance, a single fibre of 
wool of these varieties of sheep, if it be stretched to its 
full length, and then suddenly set free at one extremity, 
it will resume its ringlet form; and hence upon the union 
of pliability with the elastic principle chiefly depends the 
usefulness, and consequently value of wool. 
The play of these powers is differently adjusted in dif¬ 
ferent wools. In the Saxon, calculated for our finest 
fabrics, the action of these opposing principles is beauti¬ 
fully balanced. Hence it is the fabric is so easily shorn 
of its superfluous nap, the facility with which it yields to 
pressure, and covers the threads of the cloth with a dense, 
soft pile. Notwithstanding the injury the elastic powers 
may receive by the process of manufacture, yet by the 
aid of a microscope, the nap presents innumerable minute 
curves closely tinging the texture; and to this much of 
the beauty of our finest cloth is owing. To these oppo 
sing powers of the fibre, the felting principle is not a lit¬ 
tle indebted, as will be explained hereafter. 
SPIRAL CURVE. 
The spiral curve or ringlet form of wool, has been re¬ 
ferred to. This is one of the distinguishing qualities be¬ 
tween wool and hair, the latter being comparatively 
straight. It is remarkable in all short wooled sheep, but 
in no other varieties is it so conspicuous as the Saxon 
and Merino. It is observable in the Leicester and other 
long wooled varieties, but in a far less degree; and with 
some species of the goat under the hair of which is found 
a perfect wool, having the true felting property, and the 
fibre considerably curved. 
I am now about to state a fact, confirmed by my much 
lamented friend, Mr. H. D. Grove of Rensselaer Co., who 
was a native of Saxony, and which from its novelty, will 
surprise many. 
There is an intimate connexion between the fineness 
