254 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Aug. 
and this cold spell killed all the young vegetables in the 
gardens, (pease cut down, &c.,) and all stone fruits of 
every sort —19, fair and extremely cold; 20, fair, and 
not so cold—to the end of the month much more moder¬ 
ate. May came in quite pleasant, &c. &c. J. Bunch. 
Chuckatuck, June , 20, 1849. 
The Cost of Fine Wool. 
Eds. Cultivator. —It is impossible to give your cor¬ 
respondents, who inquire the cost of a pound of line 
wool, a definite answer. The best answer may be 
found in a statement of facts and estimates by those, in 
different parts of the land, who have experience in the 
wool busiuess. Like Polydamas, I was pleased with 
the exact statistics and sensible estimates of Mr. Petti- 
bone. To the same end I send you a few statements, 
in regard to the business here. And what I say shall 
answer for about half a dozen farms in this immediate 
neighborhood, which is in a valley called the Oblong, 
quite in the eastern part of Dutchess county. We fol¬ 
low a mixed husbandry, as the soil is about equally 
adapted to grain and grass, and yields a better return 
than by any single branch of farming. The value of 
improved lands, in good sized farms, is about fifty dol¬ 
lars per acre. The number of sheep kept on a farm of 
two hundred acres is four hundred, besides a team of 
four oxen, two or three horses, four cows, and a few 
young cattle. There are usually about forty acres un¬ 
der the plow, and one hundred and sixty in meadow and 
pasture. What proportion of the farm is devoted to 
the sheep cannot be defined, probably not less than 120 
acres. The quantity of wool produced on an average 
of these flocks is two pounds and three-quarters per 
fleece; and the average price per pound, for the last six 
years, has been forty-seven cents. The surplus sheep 
sold each year from a flock of 400 are not less than 100, 
at the price of a dollar and a quarter per head. This 
amounts to six hundred and forty-two dollars. 
The cost of keeping sheep includes a part of the gen¬ 
eral expenses of the farm, besides the interest on the 
price of the land, as fencing, taxes, seed, plaster, man¬ 
ure, &c. Henry Swift, of Poughkeepsie, was accus¬ 
tomed to pay to a tenant on one of these farms, some 
years ago, two hundred dollars a year, for the labor 
given to four hundred sheep, which included the secur- 
' ing of the hay, winter care, washing and shearing, and 
all other labor devoted to them. 
Now, as to the profits of the business of growing fine 
wool, it is plain that it does not yield a large per cent, 
though like other branches of farming, when well done , 
it brings a fair return. We quite agree with Mr. Pet- 
tibone, that it makes all the difference in the world, 
whether a thing is done right. There is a general im¬ 
pression among our farmers, that their business does 
not yield them five per cent, on the capital invested; 
but I believe it can be demonstrated, that with skilful 
and prudent management, the' farm yields at least six 
per cent., if the valuation of the land be not too extra¬ 
vagant. 
On good land, easily cultivated, the raising of grain 
is twice as profitable as any branch of grazing. But as 
thore must be manure, to keep up the fertility of the 
soil, it is necessary that a portion of the farm be devo¬ 
ted to stock. Therefore what seems to be a deficiency 
in the profits of the grass crop, is made up in the in¬ 
creased production of grain, and thus in a mixed hus¬ 
bandry, the acre of grass is truly as profitable as an 
acre of wheat. 
We prefer fine wooled sheep to other stock, for sever¬ 
al reasons; and the first is that on our dry arable lands 
it is more profitable than making beef, and brings much 
less care and labor than the dairy. We estimate that 
it requires as much hay and pasture for eight cows or 
steers, as for one hundred sheep. Sheep will do as well 
on straw and other coarse feed, as any stock will, and 
on poor or dry pasture sheep will do well, while cows 
or fatting cattle would not do at all. The quantity of 
hay to one hundred sheep through the winter does not 
exceed fifteen tons. It is our opinion also that on land 
suitable for wheat and corn, the manure of sheep is bet¬ 
ter than the manure of cattle, and on certain cold grass 
lands as a top dressing. I might add that there is less 
fluctuation in the wool market, than in that of beef and 
the products of the dairy, constituting a more stable 
and uniform business. And there is less trouble of buy¬ 
ing and selling, after the flock is once established. 
Some good farmers enjoy a greater profit than that 
I have stated, but many, for want of proper care, miss 
not only the profits, but also all the pleasures of their 
profession. I ought to add, that in some of the middle 
towns of Dutchess, on their fine grazing lands, they 
have given up fine wooled sheep for cattle; but we still 
think that this business, in connection with the whole 
system of farming, should not be hastily exchanged for 
any other. Newton Reed. Amenia Union, July , 
1849. _ 
Wire Fences. 
Eds. Cultivator —A writer who signs himself S. 
W., in your July number, desires information on the 
subject of making wire fences. I will give what infor¬ 
mation I am able, and from my own experience. I 
have made, during the spring of 1848, about 1000 feet 
of wire fence on my premises; about 700 feet of which 
I put up in the following manner: 
The posts were of white oak and butternut, and as it 
was undertaken mainly as an experiment, and as I in¬ 
tended eventually to plant some kind of hedge on the 
line, I paid but little regard either to size or beauty of 
the posts. They were set ten feet apart, and in depth 
about two feet, excepting at each end, one of larger 
size was set about four feet deep, imbeded firmly in 
stones, with a brace to each post, running from the top 
to near the bottom of the next. Four holes in each post 
were bored with a brace and bit from eight to nine inches 
apart. Wire of No. 9, was run through the whole 
length, and fastened at one end; and I adopted the fol¬ 
lowing simple and easy method of straining them at 
the other end. I took a wrench which I use for turning 
the nuts on may wagon axles, and fitted it on one end 
of a stick of hard wood one or two feet long—the re¬ 
mainder of the stick being nearly round, and one or one 
and a half inch in diameter. Through that end of the 
stick, a hole was bored to admit the wire after it had 
passed through the end post. I then turned the stick 
%ith the wrench, until the wire obtained a sufficient 
tension—and, by the way, a great power can be obtain¬ 
ed by such a purchase. The stick was then nailed to 
the post, and sawed off, and the same process perform¬ 
ed with the remaining wires until all of the stick which 
was necessary was used up. 
Another fence near my house was built with rather 
more regard to fancy. The posts were small, of uni¬ 
form size and set nearer together, and the wires run 
through, forming lattice or diamond work, by passing 
alternately from the first to the second hole, and so on 
down. In this fence seven wires of smaller size, (No. 
11) were used, with the addition of a board at the 
base. Upon all of the wire I put a thick composition of 
tar, oil and lead, which has proved an effectual protec¬ 
tion from rust. 
I can now say that these fences have proved good, 
beyond my expectations. I can say to your inquiring 
correspondent, that I did not loosen the vs ires, and tho 
posts were not affected in the least by the severe frost 
of last winter. The cost of the wire for the fence first 
mentioned, was less than thirty Cents per rod, and as to 
the value of the posts, the account can easily be adjust- 
