186 
THE CULTIVATOR 
May. 
Although it would be unnecessary for me to go hack 
to the origin of my flock, for those who have taken the 
Cultivator for eight or ten years past, yet for those who 
have not the back vols. I will do so. 
The stock from which my flock have been bred, were 
purchased by my father, of A. Hull, of Yermont, in 
January, 1839. Mr. Hull purchased his stock of the 
Hon. Wm. Jarvis, soon after he mixed his different 
flocks or classes of Merinoes, together, and as they ap¬ 
proached nearer the Paular variety than any other, from 
Mr. Jarvis’ description of the several varieties, which 
he gave in Cultivator, vol. 1, of New Series, page 127— 
they have been classed as Paular, being “ of middling 
height, round bodied, well spread, straight on the back, 
the neck of the bucks rising in a moderate curve from 
the withers to the setting on of the head; their head 
handsome, with aquiline curve of the nose, with short, 
fine, glossy hair on the face, and generally hair on the 
legs; the skin pretty smooth, that is, not rolling up*or 
doubling about the neck and body, as in some other 
flocks; the crimp in the wool was not so short as in many 
others; the wool was somewhat longer, but it was close 
and compact, and was soft and silky to the touch, and 
the surface was not so much covered with gum.” 
The above description of the Paular sheep, which I 
have quoted from Mr. Jarvis’ communication, will near¬ 
ly answer the description of my sheep at the present day, 
except that most of them are covered with wool on the 
legs, instead of hair. 
It has been the constant aim of my father and myself, 
to increase the quality of the wool, combined with the 
greatest length of staple, and weight of fleece, and nearly 
free from gum. My present stock consists of about 80 
ewes of the Jarvis stock—50 ewes and 30 bucks, a cross 
of the Jarvis and French Merino, from a buck of the 
Taintor importation, which are very superior for quali¬ 
ty of wool, and 50 lambs from Jarvis and half blood 
French ewes, and an Atwood buck, which now promise 
to be very superior shearers. 
My flock, for the last four years, has averaged from 
four and a half to five pounds, according to their condi¬ 
tion and age. When my flock were all in good condition 
and good age, the average went as high as five pounds 
five ounces—bucks from eight to twelve pounds. For 
the last four years, my wool has sold for from 35 to 42 
cents, selling soon after shearing. 
If your correspondent, or others, should wish sheep 
from my flock, I will sell a few at prices as reasonable as 
could be asked, when the first expense of getting the 
sheep, and care in breeding is taken into consideration. 
Samples of wool will be sent to any who may ask them, 
and any other information in regard to the sheep, will be 
cheerfully given. A. H. Avery. Galway , Saratoga 
Co., N. Y., Feb. 7, 1852. 
You may inform your correspondent, W. M’C., that I 
have pure Merinoes, such as he inquired for, and will 
sell at reasonable prices. The last clip averaged four 
pounds nine ounces per fleece—sold immediately after 
shearing for 40 cts. per pound. So fine, white, clear, 
and clean was it, that the workmen in the factory said it 
was Saxony, (forgetting the heft of fleece.) Inclosed I 
send you a sample of one ewe, whose fleece weighed five 
pounds, and one from one of her lambs, sired by Scipio, 
whose fleece weighed eight pounds three ounces. B. H. 
Andrews. Waterbury, Conn., Feb. 11, 1852. 
In the Cultivator of last month, is a communication 
from W. M’C., inquiring after heavy fleeced Merino 
sheep. 
We have a flock answering the description inquired 
after. Our breeding ewes, 100 in number, shear from 
four to five pounds per head, of clean washed wool. This 
we sold in June last for 44| cents per lb. This weight 
is obtained on very ordinary keeping, without any grain. 
These ewes are now dropping their lambs, from a French 
Merino buck imported in June last—his weight is over 
200 pounds, and weight of fleece from 20 to 25 pounds. 
If the wool-growers in Washington county are desirous 
of increasing the weight of their fleeces, and keep up the 
quality of wool, they can be accommodated. L. and A. 
Whiting. Torrington, Conn., March 8, 1852. 
Jackets for Sheep. 
Every one familiar with the management of sheep, 
must be aware of the great importance of shelter in 
winter. A skilful farmer once informed us, that in 
consequence of the abundant protection by buildings, 
which he gave to his sheep, he was enabled to reverse 
the common rule in relation to their loss'—he lost less in 
winter than in summer. An English Writer says that an 
extraordinary reduction in the amount of disease and 
death has been effected by the use of jackets or small 
blankets applied to such animals as were necessarily ex¬ 
posed to all weathers. Coarse woolen blankets constitu¬ 
ted the material; the jackets were 23 inches by 16, and the 
cost four pence each. Dr. Lee says that a breeder in 
Yermont, covers the back of each sheep with half a yard 
of common sheeting, painted, to shed rain—a cheaper 
material than wool. 
“ A Little Farm Well Tilled.” 
We have seldom known a better illustration of this ex¬ 
pression, than is given in an account of a farm of fifty-six 
acres, belonging to Erasmus Littlejohn, of Middlebu- 
ry, Mass. This farm was entered for the premium offered 
by the Plymouth County Agricultural Society. The 
premium was offered in 1848, payable in 1851—reference 
being had to the products of the years, inclusive. The 
56 acres consist of 22 acres improved land, 12 acres un¬ 
improved, (now mostly planted to forest trees,) and 22 
acres of woodland. The soil of the cultivated part is 
described by the committee who examined it, as mostly 
sandy and gravelly, except several acres of swamp, which 
have been brought into excellent meadow. Since 1848, 
he has raised on the 22 acres comprising the cultivated 
part of the farm, 488 bushels of Indian corn, at an ave¬ 
rage cost of 21 cents per bushel; 51 tons of hay, at the 
cost of $4 per ton; 484 bushels of potatoes, at 22 cents 
per bushel, 11 besides other vegetables.” The report 
states that the net yearly profit on his farming operations, 
after deducting interest on the cost of his farm, labor, 
See., were in 
1848 , .... $561 54 
1849 , .. .. 583 31 
1850 , ...... ... 610 81 
1851 , ..... ... 810 92 
A daily account has been kept of every item of expense 
on the farm, and credit given for products at their mar¬ 
ket value, or realised sales. 
