THE CULTIVATOR. 
147 
disease, but which it is suspected, has proved the cause 
of much of the evil complained of. Nor is the laying 
down and sowing the orchard, to be too long delayed, the 
crop being far better adapted to grazingthan mowing for 
hay, or grain. 
I find that the system of “rigid pruning of the peach 
tree” has been adopted by the Messrs. Downing at their 
extensive nurseries at Newburgh, and no doubt it will be 
attended with success; the fact that “no tree bears the 
knife so well as the peach,” having long since been as¬ 
certained and verified by universal practice in England. 
And to prove my faith by my works, I have taken off 
many leading branches the present spring, and find the 
trees much improved in appearance by the operation. 
The experiment has led to the inquiry, whether, as it is 
proposed to keep the orchard in grass as a hog pasture, 
the mode proposed would not admit of (he trees being- 
planted thicker or nearer together, depending on the sys¬ 
tem of “ rigid pruning” to keep them within due bounds 
and with upright heads, affording a proper degree of ex¬ 
posure to atmosphersc influence, and a due and equal 
proportion of sunshine ? The question is an interesting 
one; would your correspondent take it up ? 
Your subscriber, J. L. 
Springfield, N. J., 1845. 
ON BREEDING SHEEP. 
Mr. Editor —After looking over the pedigree of my 
sheep in the November number of the Cultivator, and 
some of the remarks at the close, I feel it my duty to 
give a fuller explanation of my views and experience in 
the breeding of sheep. It is the duty of wool growers to 
have three objects in view in breeding sheep—1st, they 
should breed that kind of sheep whose fleeces will be 
large enough to nett them a handsome income from the 
growth of their wool—2d, a kind that will produce a 
fine, long, and silky staple, which will be profitable to 
the manufacturer—3d, a kind which will, when manu¬ 
factured, make a heavy body, and a durable goods for the 
consumer. I would here ask, is there any one distinct 
breed which will answer all these purposes ? I know 
that the Saxon sheep produce fine wool, but not enough 
in weight to make it profitable to the wool grower.* It 
may be a profitable wool for the manufacturer, but I very 
much doubt the durability of the goods for the laboring 
and business part of community. The Paular Merinoes 
are heavy fleeced, and when well fed, have more native 
oil, than can pass through the harl of the wool in a pro¬ 
per manner—it is common for it to form a sticky sub¬ 
stance among the wool, which makes it heavy and un¬ 
profitable for the manufacturer—they are somewhat 
wrinkled about the neck, and are apt to have hairs in 
those wrinkles, and not uncommon to have hairs on the 
body so as to prevent it being manufactured into fine 
goods, so that this kind of sheep will not answer our full 
purpose. It is more for our interest to gro w fine wool in 
the Eastern States than it has been. We cannot expect 
to compete with the west on coarse wool. How can we 
grow a large fleece, of long staple, fine wool ? I will 
tell you how it has been done, viz: by crossing three dif¬ 
ferent breeds of pure Spanish Merinos. The most per¬ 
fect of the three was the Escurial, and I believe the most 
perfect breed that was ever imported into America when 
imported by David Humphrey in 1802; in their pure 
state, their wool was more compact at the outer end than 
any that I have ever seen, and in possession of stronger 
felting properties. The one which was imported in 1811, 
was a larger fleece and a little darker at the out end of 
the wool. In selecting my bucks to breed from, I have 
even taken great pains to select those which partook 
most of the Escurial blood. Experience has taught me 
that in breeding animals, the offspring partake stronger 
in their outward coat and appearance of the male, in 
their temper and disposition of the female; in this way I 
have managed my sheep, until many of them resemble 
the Escurial sheep when in their pure state. In select¬ 
* The remark in regard to the Saxon sheep not producing wool 
enough to make them profitable, we think is rather too sweeping. 
We could name flocks of Saxons, which have undoubtedly afforded 
good profits.— Ed. 
ing bucks to breed from, we should take those that are 
of handsome form, large fleece, and long staple, in which 
the native oil circulates freely through to the outer end 
of the wool, leaving the wool within, white, like cotton. 
This kind of wool is free from dead end, cleanses easy, 
and is soft and silky when cleansed. That kind of wool 
which has a great deal of yolk lodged about in the wool 
wastes too much in scouring, and is very harsh and wiry 
and not easily manufactured into fine goods. Some gen¬ 
tleman in the Nov. number of the Cultivator, mentioned 
the Escurial Saxon Sheep. I have never seen any that 
were imported from Saxony, that bore any resemblance 
to those imported by David Humphrey. In Mr. Grove’s 
letter to Mr. Colman, he states that there was an impor¬ 
tation of Escurial sheep from Spain to Saxony in 1764, 
and another importation in 1777, of different breeds. 
This was 47 years before the introduction of the Saxony 
sheep to this country. I think it quite improbable at 
least that we have any of the pure Escurials from Saxony. 
Where are the 200 that Wm. Jarvis brought to this coun¬ 
try in 1809, or their offspring ? I know of no trace of 
the Escurial blood but what has been preserved from the 
importation of General Humphrey, and the one imported 
in 1811. 
In looking over a communication of Mr. L. A. Mor¬ 
rell, in the April no. of the Cultivator, 1844, he assigns a 
number of reasons why wool of the same fineness would 
be some of it dry and harsh and some soft and silky. 1 
think if he had raised the same breed of sheep that I have, 
he would have assigned a different reason. I will here 
repeat some of my remarks, and speak a little more par¬ 
ticularly of the kind of sheep and wool which I have rai¬ 
sed. The complexion of the wool is dark at the outer 
end, white within, is always soft, and afterbeing cleans¬ 
ed for use, remains soft and oily. The reason I give, is 
this; it has been ascertained, and acknowledged I believe, 
that every harl of wool is a hollow tube; when the per¬ 
spiration is open, the native oil passes through these 
tubes. This native oil preserves the life of the wool, 
renders it free from dead end, and leaves it in full pos¬ 
session of its felting properties; and I very much doubt, 
when cleansed for use, whether this oil in the centre of 
the harl is ever all extracted, for it always feels oily, and 
(he goods made from it are soft and silky. This native 
oil has its desired effect. It preserves the health of the 
sheep, the life of the wool, and adds to the strength and 
durability of the goods. 
Manufacturing men have sometimes found fault with 
this kind of wool because they are large fleeces; would 
it not be honorable in them to keep both debt and credit ? 
If the wool wastes a little more in washing, and is a more 
perfect and valuable article when washed, the account is 
balanced. I am satisfied so far as the experiment has 
been tried, that there is no kind of sheep as profitable, 
uniting the interests of.the wool grower and manufactu¬ 
rer. Some gentlemen are of the opinion that the Saxony 
breed of sheep should be kept pure, and not crossed with 
any other kind; but I think that a mistaken idea. I think 
there is a very great benefit derived from crossing differ¬ 
ent breeds. But we must have pure blood male animals 
to breed from. It is our duty as farmers to make all the 
improvements in the different branches of agriculture 
which we are capable of. The agricultural and manufactu¬ 
ring interests are closely linked together; whatever af¬ 
fects the one, affects the other more or less. We should 
endeavor to draw together, and work for each other’s in¬ 
terests. The wool grower must breed a kind of sheep 
whose fleeces will yield him a living’profit; we cannot 
live from the two pound fleeces; and while our manu¬ 
facturers ask for a protective tariff, which they really 
need, and which we wish them to have, we wish them 
to remember that the farmers in the Eastern States need 
protection to. I will here leave my subject for the pre¬ 
sent for my worthy friends to correct. 
Watertown, Litchfield co., Ct. Jacob N. Blakeslee. 
Working Oxen _At the last Fair of the Middlesex 
(Ct.) Ag. Society, four ox (earns, attached to decorated 
carts were present, numbering 214 yoke, viz: Team 
from Middlefield and Long Hill, 96 yoke—South farms, 
84—Westfield, 26—Joel Blatchley’s, of Durham, 8 yoke. 
