THE CULTIVATOR, 
227 
is said, “ All the live stock which had been imported 
for breeding was killed off for food, and the inhabitants 
were reduced to an ear of corn per day. From the ex¬ 
haustion which prevailed, all labor was suspended.” 
The drouths, he remarks, “ have been succeeded by 
long-continued rains, which have raised the rivers thir¬ 
ty or forty feet, flooded the whole country, deluged the 
towns and villages, and completely destroyed the crops. 
The cattle, stacks, buildings, and sometimes even the in¬ 
habitants are swept away. It is stated that in 1839, which 
was considered a wet season, “ twenty thousand sheep 
were lost in the valley of the Hawkesbury by the floods.” 
These evils, it is added, “ appear to be of frequent oc¬ 
currence, and the settler in New South Wales has to con¬ 
tend with elements in an unusual degree.” 
Owing to the irregularity of the seasons, it is said, 
« there are hardly any streams that merit the name of ri¬ 
vers. It is necessary to guard against being misled by 
the inspection of maps of the country, and forming from 
them, the idea that it is well watered. Such an impres¬ 
sion would be erroneous, and yet the maps are not inac¬ 
curate; streams do actually exist in the places where 
they are laid down on the maps; but for the greater part 
of every year no more is to be seen than the beds or 
courses, in which, during the season of floods, or after 
long-continued rains, absolute torrents of water flow, 
but which will within the short space of a month again 
become a string of deep pools. Were it not for this pe¬ 
culiar provision of nature, the country for the greater 
part of the year would be without water, and conse¬ 
quently, uninhabitable.” 
During the long-continued drouths to which the coun¬ 
try is so subject, the vegetation is also liable to great in¬ 
jury from hot blighting winds, which are thus spoken of: 
“ The prevailing westerly winds sweep with force 
over the whole country, blighting all they touch. The 
effect of these hot winds is remarkable, for they will in 
a few hours entirely destroy the crops, by extracting all 
the moisture from the grain, even after it is formed and 
almost ready for harvest; and the only portion that is 
left, is that which has been sheltered by trees, hedges or 
fences. They thus destroy the prospects of the husband¬ 
man when his crops are ready for the sickle.” 
WOOL-GROWING 
We have received through the Washington County Post, 
an article on this subject, written by Wm. McKie, Esq., 
of Salem, N. Y. It appears that some person had desired 
Mr. McK.'s opinion as to the most advisable course for 
the wool-growers of this region to pursue that they may 
be enabled to compete successfully with the increase of 
the wool-growing interest of the west. To this Mr. 
McKie replies that he thinks it is as yet undecided 
whether fine wool can be grown extensively in the west; 
but he has no doubt that the “coarser anil more middling 
grades can be grown successfully, and at prices that 
would be ruinous to the wool-grower of the north.” 
He however recommends “a medium course” for the 
northern farmers, in regard to the quality of their wool. 
He says—“However favorably I may be impressed with 
regard to the Saxons, I would not recommend the pure 
bloods to any but the skilful. I would recommend the 
cross Saxony, or in other words, the pure Merino crossed 
by the Saxon. An equal cross is desirable.” 
He speaks highly of the Saxon flock of Daniel Rogers, 
in Rensselaer county, derived from the importation of 
Mr. Grove, as standing in very high repute, and from 
which he could advise a selection of breeding stock. 
He speaks highly also of “the Campbell flock,” in Jack- 
son, Washington county, which he says can be recom¬ 
mended in the highest terms. He states the blood as pure 
Merino crossed by pure Saxon. That the wool is very 
soft, fine, and silky, averaging three pounds to the fleece; 
and is in high estimation with the manufacturers for its 
felting properties, &c. He observes that—“ light fleeces 
and fine wool, are generally considered synonymous;” 
but this he shows is a mistake, and that we should regard 
quantity as well as quality, which there is no difficulty 
Jn combining. A great reason with Mr. McKie for en- 
•ouraging the growth of fine wool, is the supposed pro¬ 
bability that we may have to resort to exportation for a 
market, and that in this exigency fine wools could alone 
remunerate the grower—the coarser and middling grades 
being produced by other couutries—at a less rate than 
can be done even from the prairies of the west. 
In regard to preparing wool for market, Mr. McKie 
advises the greatest care in washing and cleansing. He 
says—“The practice of dipping the flock, and then hud¬ 
dling them together in a yard, for some two hours pre¬ 
vious to washing, is a mode that all wool growers ot 
distinction would be likely to practice, when made ac¬ 
quainted with the beneficial results. Great care should 
be taken to avoid dusty roads going up from the wash¬ 
ing, and in providing clean pastures for the flocks, between 
that and the clipping.” He discountenances the practice 
of letting sheep run two or three weeks after washing 
before they are sheared, “ for the oil to come out.” 
From three to six days, he thinks, (and reasonably too,) 
is long enough for all practical purposes. He stales 
that some wool-growers in putting up their fleeces “are 
in the abominable practice of carefully concealing from 
three to four ounces of the most filthy unwashed dags in 
the centre of each fleece.” He recommends that the 
fleeces be prepared in ‘‘the best possible manner, which 
will enable one to reach the highest price, besides giving 
the satisfaction of having done right.” 
NEW-YORK STATE AG. SOCIETY. 
The monthly meeting of the Executive Committee for 
June, was held at the Society’s Room, Albany, on the 
12th— Geo. Vail, Esq. in the chair. 
Mr. Tucker reported a list of Questions to be answer¬ 
ed by the applicants for Premiums on Farms, which 
were approved, and ordered to be issued in a circular. 
In addition to the Premiums of $50—$30, and $20, on 
Farms, it was resolved to give single volumes or sets 
of the Society’s Transactions, to all who furnish answers 
to the questions, according to the value of the reports 
thus furnished. 
A letter was read from the President, recommend 
ing that the next meeting of the Executive Committe 
be held at Utica, whereupon it was 
Resolved, That the next regular meeting of the Ex 
ecutive Committee be held at Bagg’s Hotel in Utica, oi 
Thursday, the 10th of July, at 10 o’clock A. M.; and 
that the Committees to award Premiums at the State Fair, 
be appointed at that time. 
A letter was read from Mr. Wm. Wandall, of Sing 
Sing, on the subject of destroying the wild onion, ane 
asking the Society’s advice as to the best way of making 
it public. The Committee advised its communicatioi 
through the agricultural papers. 
$Cfp All applicants for Premiums on Farms, can obtain 
Circulars, containing the regulations and questions to bs 
answered, on application to Luther Tucker, Rec. Sec’y, 
Albany, or to any of the officers of the Society in differ¬ 
ent parts of the state. 
ASPARAGUS. 
Mr. Wightman Chapman, of Middlebury, Vt., raised 
the finest Asparagus we ever tasted. Noticing its superb* 
ority, we inquired how it was grown. Mr. C. said it 
was raised by what he called the French mode. Instead 
of making a deep trench as in the ordinary way, he se¬ 
lected a piece of thick sward in a rich place, made 
up a good compost of old manure, muck, and loam, and 
raised a bed to the height of twelve or fifteen inches, 
into which he set the roots. There is certainly “no 
mistake” about the extra size and unusual richness of the 
asparagus which we saw and ate, produced in this way. 
Mansfield, Conn., has the honor of manufacturing more 
silk than any other town in this country. In 1793, 260 
lbs. were raised, and in 1830, 3,200 lbs.—most of which 
was manufactured by hand. Since 1830, less has been 
grown, but the manufacture of foreign silk is carried on, 
to a considerable extent in factories. There are eighfi 
factories—most for sewings and twist—the others foi? 
cords, tassels, &c. 
