1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
339 
Such lambs as have been born late in the season re- 
Qeive in morning three-fourths of a pound of oats and 
vetches mixed 5 at 9, drink; at 10, to 100 head, half a 
metzen of potatoes; at 11 , lucerne, one-fourth of a 
pound; at 1 P. M., three-fourths of a pound of espar¬ 
sette; at 3 drink; and at 4 o’clock, three sheaves of 
oats to 100 head. 
Old wethers receive in the morning half a pound of 
steamed chaff; at 10 drink; from 31 in the morning to 
4 P. M., pasture—(if prevented, at 1 o’clock steamed 
chaff, and at 3 drink;) and in the evening oat-straw. 
December.—-R ams for coupling receive in the morn¬ 
ing one pound of oats and vetches mingled;at 9, drink, 
then straw in the yard; at 11, esparsette half a pound; 
at 1, hay, second quality, half a pound; at 3, drink; at 
4 o’clock six sheaves of oats. 
Rams for sale receive in the morning -one pound of 
esparsette; at @, drink; then straw; at 10 , oats and 
vetches mingled, half a pound; at 1 , hay, second qual¬ 
ity, half a pound; at 3, drink; at 4 o’clock six sheaves 
■•of oats. 
Buck lambs receive In the morning three-fourths of a 
pound of oats and vetches mingled; at 9, drink; at 10 
esparsette, three-fourths of a pound; at 1 , clover, half 
a pound; at 3 drink; and at 4 o’clock four sheaves of 
©ats. 
Old ewes of the -first class receive In the morning 
©ne pound of esparsette; at 9 drink; at 10, per 100 
head, one metzen of potatoes; then straw; at 1 P~ M., 
three-fourths of a pound of hay, second quality: at 3, 
drink; at 4 o’clock five sheaves of oats. 
Old ewes of the second class receive in the morning 
one pound hay, second quality; at 9 drink; at 10 o’clk 
©ne meteefi of potatoes to 100 head, and after this 
«traw; at 1 P. M., three-fourths of a pound of chafl, 
with three-eighths of a metsen of oats and four ounces 
of salt per 100 head; at 3, drink; and m the evening 
live sheaves of oats. 
Ewes two years old receive in the morning half a 
pound of chaff, with three-eighths of a metzen of oats 
and four ounces of salt per 100 head; at 9, drink; at 
M 0 o’clock, three-fourths of a measure of potatoes to 
S00 head, and then straw in the yard; at 1 P. M., 
t/hree-fourths of a pound of esparsette; at 3 drink; and 
at 4 P. M., four Reaves of oats. 
The lambs and wethers receive in the morning three- 
fourths of a pound of esparsette or oats and vetches 
mingled together; at 9 drink; at 10 o’clock, half a 
pound of potatoes; at 11 o’clock, one-fourth of a pound 
of oats and vetches mixed, or of clover; at 1 , P. M., 
half a pound of hay. second quailt}', or of esparsette; 
at 3 drink ; at 4 P. M. three sheaves ©f oats, and the 
older ones four sheaves, to 190 head. 
Hid wethers and assorted ewes receive in the naorn- 
saig three-fourths of a pound <©f steamed chaff; at 9, 
drink; at 10 to 100 head, one metzen of potatoes, and 
then straw in the yard; at 1 , esparsette, three-fourths 
of a pound, {or hay, third quality;) at 3, drink; at 4, 
steamed chaff, three-fourths of a pound. 
Ewes of delicate health, and those which have pro¬ 
duced twins, receive an additional portion at 11 o’clock 
in the morning, of half a pound of lucerne and a pint 
of barley-groats. During the lime of coupling, those 
rams that have been put to great fatigue, receive daily 
from one half to two pints of oats, added to their food. 
En the season of pasture the flocks get twice a month 
salt to lick, two pounds and a half being allowed to 100 
head; during the winter, however, only once a month, 
and then all those sheep which get chaff soaked in salt 
water for food do not share. Of strewing, twenty-five 
pounds are reckoned for 100 sheep. 
Many will doubtless consider this way of feeding as 
ioo rich, and as not very eeonominal; yet the principle 
flf 8>hnndmt £ood } as observed in Alcsuth, cannot be 
recommended too highly; for experience has shown that 
between sheep well and those tolerably fed, there is 
regularly a difference of one-third in regard to the 
quantity of wool obtained. And then again, it is only 
by such abundant food that the smallest amount of mor¬ 
tality, as well as the largest increase and that develop¬ 
ment of their animal organism which gives the sheep, 
in all periods of its age, the highest capacities of breed¬ 
ing and fattening can be secured* 
It is an undeniable fact that the manor of Alcsuth, 
in spite of many unfavorable circumstances, has been 
raised from its neglected condition to its present flour¬ 
ishing state, in a very short time, and by comparative¬ 
ly small expenditures, solely by means of breeding of 
cattle, and more especially a profitable breed of sheep. 
For now-a-days it is not the sheep of the finest silky 
and thin wool that give the highest profit to the farmer; 
but, on the contrary, it is those whose wool unites with 
the greatest compactness a proper degree of fineness; 
because the sheep of this class require smaller outlay 
as regards feeding, and in fact in every other respect; 
because they give more lambs, are less liable to sick¬ 
ness, and hence to mortality, and because they are bet¬ 
ter even for fattening; above all, however, because the 
finest wool very rarely fetches a priee proportionate to 
its cost, in the market. With these leading views the 
Alesuth sheep have been bred. This breed had its ori¬ 
gin from the celebrated domestic sheep-folds of U. Al- 
tenbourg of Urmeny, and was developed into a peculiar 
and superior race, by the masterly treatment of the 
breeder. In its exterior, this sheep bears, in a high 
degree, the character of the Infantado race, which, 
improved and ennobled by proper cross-breeding, as it 
has been of late, constitutes now the aim of most wool 
growers. 
The Alesuth sheep is distinguished by its strong- 
built, vigorous body; its head and neck are thick, its 
collar having many folds, its body stretched, its back 
broad and round shaped from the hip bones to the root 
of the tail; its legs, which are full clothed to the hoof, 
are rather short than long; its fleece is long, thick, 
uniformly curled, throughout good, middling fine and 
uniform. 
It is not easy to give the reader an idea or descrip¬ 
tion of the fineness of the wool in words. By the Dol- 
land wool meter, the fineness would be expressed by 
the quotient of the third class, viz. by 0,0006. Still, 
to supply those who have no opportunity of seeing the 
Alcsuth flocks, with a surer standard whereby to judge 
of the fineness of their wool, a list of prices is sub¬ 
joined, at which the Alcsuth wool was sold during the 
years 1838 to 1841, and which was as follows, (by 
the cwt.) 
In 1838... ........... ..Ccnv. money, FI. 145=$72| 
“ 1839,......158= 79 
“ 1840 and ’41, (when prices were much depressed,) 128= 64 
If it is considered that these prices were paid without 
any allowance for loss in weighing out the wool, and in 
fact without any kind of deduction whatsoever, no one 
can fail to perceive that the quality of the wool must 
be good and suitable to use. What gives the Alcsuth 
wool a particular value, and renders it so much sought 
after, is that its evenness is not confined to single 
heads, but extends over the whole flocks. 
Another thing of great moment is the unusual pro¬ 
ductiveness of wool, as obtained by the Alesuth sheep; 
for thickness and length are so well combined in this 
wool, that its want of fineness can be of no account 
whatever. The average weight, as ascertained by 
personal examination, and by reference to the bills and 
books, is as follows : 
With the ram,....3 lbs. 
With the wether,.3£ “ 
With the ewe,..2* “ 
With the lamb,.......28 32 
