156 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
irate through and through by filtration; but abstaining 
from all submersion which would thicken the earth and 
hinder vegetation. This irrigation which may be called 
subterranean is repeated, if it is perceived that the plants 
gutfer by drouth, but it rarely takes place more than 
twice, and frequently is necessary but once. 
“ The beauty of the vegetation leaves the cultivator but 
one fear—the lodging of the grain; but notwithstanding 
this risk, the harvests are so fine and abundant that the 
farmers are not deterred from following it. When the 
harvest is gathered in at the end of June, the ground is 
laid under water, and after allowing it to sink in and dry 
for two or three days, it is plowed, and beans, potatoes 
and maize or Turkish wheat and millet are sown, which 
they treat in the same manner. The second harvests pro¬ 
duced by the advantage of a soil that has been thus re¬ 
freshed during the hottest months of the year, July, Au¬ 
gust and September, are of great value.” 
PHILOSOPHY OF WOOL NO. IY. 
TRUENESS. 
The quality of trueness of the staple especially enhan¬ 
ces the value of every grade of wool in which it is found. 
It comprises an equality of the diameter of the fibre from 
the root to the point, and uniformity of the fleece gene¬ 
rally. When the filament greatly lacks in this particular, 
it may be ascribed to an irregular and unhealthy action 
of the secretion of wool, which, in tura, must be attri¬ 
buted, in general, to abuses in management of the sheep. 
For instance, if the animal has fared kindly till the win¬ 
ter season, and then exposed to storm, and cold, and with¬ 
al ill fed, the growth of that part of the fibre during this 
period, will be considerably diminished in diameter, pro¬ 
portionally weak, and when examined by the microscope, 
presents a withered appearance. On being turned to pas¬ 
ture, the fare being better, and the secretions again be¬ 
coming healthy and abundant, an enlargement of the fibre 
follows; but it is greatly destitute, from the causes sta¬ 
ted, of the quality of tx-ueness, and therefore debases the 
value of the whole fleece. The weak and withered parts 
of the fibre are termed breaches, and injure materially e- 
very manufacture in which it is employed, the felting pi’op- 
erty being deteriorated, and the cloth having less strength 
and softness. The skilful stapler and wool-buyer will, 
on critical examination, easily detect this serious fault, 
and prize the wool accordingly. By pulling asunder a 
single fibre, the break will uniformly be confined to the 
breachy or withered point. This is termed unsound wool. 
Although this description of wool is generally, as re¬ 
marked, the result of bad management of the flock, yet it 
is common to all good sheep. With the Saxon and Me¬ 
rino, after the ewes, particulai’ly, pass the age of eight 
or nine years, the yolk lessens in quantity, which is fol¬ 
lowed by compai'atively a hard, inelastic, unyielding, 
character of-the wool, with the strength and weight great¬ 
ly diminished. Therefore, notwithstanding the singular 
longevity of these breeds, it is better to pass them over to 
the butcher, when arrived at the age mentioned. 
Intimately connected with producing a sound and true 
staple, is the 
INFLUENCE ©F TEMPERATURE. 
It cannot be doubted that equability of temperature is 
an important agent in perfecting the sevei’al properties of 
wool. The Spanish custom, continued for centuries, of 
driving the sheep in the spi*ing to the northern and moun¬ 
tainous parts of the kingdom, which are there kept until 
the approach of winter, originated in part from the con¬ 
viction that this theory was sound. Indeed, it is founded 
in the natural instinct of the sheep. Every one knows it 
is impatient of heat. In the midst of summer, in all la¬ 
titudes where it is found, it will seek the most elevated 
points for the sake of the cooling breeze, and retire to 
shades to guard itself against the burning rays of the sun. 
In winter it will flee to a place of refuge from storms 
and cold. All this testifies strongly in favor of the cor¬ 
rectness of the premises. But the question may be ask¬ 
ed, what has the bodily comfort of the animal to do with 
perfecting the sevei-al properties of the fleece ? The an¬ 
swer is every thing. If health and thrift are promoted 
by equability of temperature, the cutaneous glands are 
alike healthy, and a regular and even growth of the fibre 
naturally follows. 
But strictly speaking, equability of temperature is no¬ 
where to be found; therefore, in our rigorous and change¬ 
able climate, the fibre of wool must ever present a great¬ 
er or less inequality of diameter between its extremes. 
It is remaiffcable that the point has always the largest bulk. 
This is the product of summer, after shearing time, when 
there is a repletion of the secretions which produce the 
wool, and when the pores of the skin are relaxed and 
open, and permit a larger fibre to protrude. The portion 
near the root is the growth of the spring, when the weath¬ 
er is getting warm; and the intermediate part is the offspring 
of winter, when, under the influence of the cold, the pores 
of the skin contract, and permit only a finer fibre to escape. 
An author remarks, “The variations in the diameter of 
the wool in the different parts of the fibre will also curi¬ 
ously correspond with the degree of heat at the time the 
respective portions were produced. The fibre of the 
wool, and the record of the meteoi’oligist will singularly 
agree, if the variations in temperature are sufficiently dis¬ 
tant from each other for any appreciable part of the fibre 
to grow.” 
It legitimately follows from the foregoing observa¬ 
tions, that a hot climate is unfavorable to the continued 
productions, for any length of time, of fine wool; and 
therefoi'e, the opinion that wool of the Saxon and 
Merino can be grown in every degi*ee of latitude in the 
United 8tates, without deterioration, is obviously falla¬ 
cious. 
In confirmation of the general fact as to the influence 
of climate on wool and hair, the remarks of Mr. Hunter, 
an English author of high authority, are quoted: “Sheep 
’ carried from a cold to a warm climate soon undergo a re¬ 
markable change in the appearance of their fleece. 
From being very fii’m and thick, it becomes thin and 
coarse; until at length it degenerates into hair. Even 
if this change should not take place to its full extent in 
the individual, it will infallibly do so in the course of a 
greater or less number of generations. The effect of heat 
is nearly the same on the hairs of olher animals. The 
The same species that in Russia, Sibeida, and North A- 
1 mei'ica, produce the most beautiful and valuable furs, have 
nothing in the warmer climates but a coai-se and thin 
covering of hair.” 
The above may be questioned by some, and Australian 
wools referred to as proof that the Saxon and Merino 
have vouchsafed to them some peculiar qualities of adap¬ 
tation to every variety of climate, It is hardly necessa 
ry to say that this opinion is grounded upon a want of 
accurate and critical knowledge of physiological science, 
and other information bearing directly on the subject in 
point. The climate of New Holland or Australia, a Brit¬ 
ish possession, is not hot but rather of a tempei-ate char¬ 
acter, and especially that portion of it where sheep are 
kept, being between, including the eastern point of Van 
Dieman's Land, the 43d and 32d degrees of south lati- 
j tude. But notwithstanding its temperate and equable cli¬ 
mate, compared with the more southern portions of our 
own country, yet Australia wools have deteriorated in 
fineness in comparison with the Saxon stock, from which 
many of the sheep in the colony originated. Although 
as recent as 1815, when the fii’st exportations to any con¬ 
siderable extent were made from Germany, the fibre from 
a sample of picklock Austi’alian wool now measures 1. 
750th part of an inch in diameter—the same as Spanish 
Merino—whereas, one from picklock Saxon is but the 1. 
840th. Considering the brief space of time, this shows 
i a rapid decidence in fineness. Furthermore, a rapid de- 
teifioration in the felting property is equally manifest, the 
seri’ations being only 2400 to an inch, less by 150 than 
the average of picklock Merino, and 320 less than the 
same sort in Saxon. This fact confirms the observations 
of Mr. Hunter, and establishes the position that the cli¬ 
mate of Germany, and the northern and middle States, 
with suitable protection in winter, as being the most con¬ 
servative of the properties of extreme fineness and felting 
of wool. This subject may be further discussed hereafter. 
The felting property of wool will constitute an impor 
tant chapter, which will follow. L. A. Morrell 
Lake Ridge , Tompkins Co., N. Y. 
