358 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
PEDIGREES OF COL. RANDALL’S MERINO SHEEP. 
Editors Cultitator — I often receive inquiries, and 
sometimes from editors, in relation to the pedigrees of 
my Merino Sheep. Though not voluminous, they are 
too much so, to be daily copied for such applicants. 
I will furnish such pedigrees to any editor who will 
accompany his request with a distinct intimation that he 
will publish them as they are forwarded, entire and un¬ 
mutilated; or to any other individual to whose published 
request, an editorial pledge of the same kind is appended. 
Yours truly, Henry S. Randall. 
Cortland Village, Oct. 12, 1844. 
HOLLOW HORN. 
It is familiar to farmers that when any animal has been 
subject to this complaint, that upon the return of winter 
the complaint will return again frequently. The com¬ 
plaint ma| often be kept off in such cases, simply by 
wrapping the horn with woollen cloth or sheep skin 
with the wool turned inwardly, and keeping it well 
bound on through the winter. As soon as the horn be¬ 
gins to become carious, it becomes internally sore, and 
it sometimes happens that all efforts to save an animal 
afflicted with this complaint are ineffectual, merely for 
the want of wrapping the horns, and thereby imparting 
that warmth to the parts intended to be healed, which ail 
know is necessary for any wound or sore in winter in 
order *o heal it. C- D. 
PEPPERIDGE TIMBER. 
Pepperidge is occasionally used to make an ox volte, 
but more generally is consigned to the fire as useless for 
any other purpose—whereas it ought to be known that it 
is one of the best, if not quite the best article for bed¬ 
steads which grows in the northern states. It works 
smooth, and when oiled and varnished, or when stained 
and varnished, shows the curl of the wood and looks al¬ 
most as well as curled maple. C. D. 
MONTHLY NOTICES. 
Sheep on the Prairies. —The Western Cultivator, 
printed at Indianapolis, Indiana, says that up to the 25th 
of August, 25,000 sheep had passed through that place on 
their way to the Western Prairies. In the same paper, 
we find a communication from Geo. Flowers, Esq. of 
Albion, Ill., in which he states that he has just returned 
from a three months tour in Virginia, Pennsylvania, 
Ohio and Indiana, whither he had been to select and pur¬ 
chase eighty of the best rams and 3,600 ewes. He urges 
the formation of a “ Western Wool Growing Company,” 
by whom a permanent system of improvement in sheep, 
might be undertaken, which would prove alike profitable 
to the Company, and beneficial to the public. The sub¬ 
ject is worthy of consideration. 
Winter protection for Strawberries. —A writer 
in the Boston Cultivator says he has tried covering with 
manure, leaves, sea weed, boughs, and “ all other kinds 
of loose covering;” but they did not answer. The leaves 
would blow off, and mice would get under and destroy 
the plants. He recommends cleaning the beds well from 
weeds, and about the last of October or first of Novem¬ 
ber, put on from one to two inches of rich loam or old 
compost, made with muck, and a small quantity of ma¬ 
nure, such as. has no seeds of weeds and rake it in equal¬ 
ly, being particular to have the plants covered so as only to 
present the centre leaves; this protects the roots and taps, 
and in the spring the beds and borders are all ready for 
them to grow, and will not need any cultivating until the 
plants are in blossom, and until the middle of May, and 
then with a fork about six inches wide, with three*round 
stiff prongs 10 inches long, blunt and round at the end of 
the prongs, stir the soil. 
Destruction of the Aphis and Sheep Ticks._A 
writer in the Mass. Plowman says he has succeeded well 
m killing the aphis or plant louse on trees and shrubs, by 
smoking them with tobacco, mixed with a small quantity 
of brimstone. The smoking did not apparently injure 
the leaves or stem. His process of smoking is simply to 
take one of those boxes in which ground mustard comes 
packed, (say half pound boxes) in the lid of the box, 
have a tube soldered in, of such size as will fit on to the 
nose of a bellows; in the bottom of the box put another 
tube similar to the one in the lid, fill the box with to¬ 
bacco, (no matter how poor) .turn into the box a little 
water to prevent the tobacco from burning too rapidly, 
put in a coal of fire, fix on the lid, which is attached to 
the bellows nose; you can then smoke to your liking. 
We have often smoked sheep with an apparatus 
like this, to kill ticks. In the winter or spring when the 
wool is long, and the weather is too inclement to justify 
dipping sheep in a liquid, smoking is the best plan that 
can be resorted to, and if well done, is quite effectual. 
Smoke seems to be very deadly to insects in general, and 
we do not see why it may not be used to good advantage 
in killing plant lice. 
Three hundred spinning wheels in operation 
on Boston Common. —In an Address delivered before 
the Caledonia (Yt.) Agricultural Society, by Henry 
Stevens, Esq., in which the importance of affording suit¬ 
able encouragement to domestic manufactures, is very 
forcibly set forth, the author says:—“We find in the 
American Annals, an account of the anniversary of a so¬ 
ciety for encouraging industry, held 1753, on which oc¬ 
casion Boston common presented a novel sight. In the 
afternoon, about 300 young female spinsters, decently 
dressed, appearing on the common at their spinning 
wheels, the wheels were placed regularly in three rows, 
and a female was seated at each wheel; the weavers also 
appeared cleanly dressed, in garments of their own wea¬ 
ving. One of them working a loom on a stage, was car¬ 
ried on men’s shoulder’s attended with music; an immense 
number of spectators were present at this interesting spec¬ 
tacle. The Rev. Dr. Cooper preached a discourse, and a 
collection was made for the benefit of the institution. La¬ 
dies of Boston whirling three hundred spinning wheels! 
These were afterwards the matrons who refused British 
tea, and who never saw a piano. Wonder if a thousand 
delicate ladies could not now be seen in the city, at their 
pianos, where one old fashioned rosy damsel could be 
found at the healthy exercise of the spinning wheel ?” 
Mr. Stevens adds—“ The woman who manufactures for 
her own household, and one piece of goods to sell, does 
more to retain the solid coin in our State, than all the 
banks or the greatest financiers.” 
Good Advice.—•“ A Burke Planter,” in the Southern 
Cultivator, says—“ We must begin at once the practice 
of frugality and economy. We must combine farming 
with planting; produce all that is practicable at home, 
and no longer permit ourselves to be furnished with any 
of the means of support or of labor from beyond the 
mountains. But first of all, we must turn our undivided 
attention to our own business; study fully the theory of 
our pursuit, and practically apply its principles. We 
must test the discoveries and improvements that are con¬ 
stantly being made; and by original experiments, add to 
the knowledge of the country. It is erroneous to sup¬ 
pose that planting is an easy and indolent vocation. Pro¬ 
perly pursued, it is one of the most arduous; demanding 
untiring activity and energy to regulate the negroes, di¬ 
vide and task them judiciously, designate work, mode of 
doing it, and to observe from day to day that it is cor¬ 
rectly done; attend to stock; the manure pit; the expe¬ 
riments going on; with many other matters depending on 
the variety of his collateral works. And exacting con¬ 
stant mental exertion to acquire a knowledge of all the 
physical sciences, so indispensable to enlightened and 
successful planting, and to keep pace with the improve¬ 
ments in the country; and a cultivated judgment, to in- 
I vestigate the thousand theories that are broached, to ex¬ 
periment, to compare facts, to combine and to apply them. 
And while the overseer may be exempted from very 
much of the mental labor of the owner, his physical acti¬ 
vity should be increased- his time, his efforts, and his 
thoughts, should be devoted to the welfare of his employ¬ 
er, and he should take the deepest interest in every ope¬ 
ration tending to promote it.” 
