224 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
July. 
Sheep Shearing Festival. —The shearing of the 
flock of Pure Merino Sheep of Alonzo L. Bingham, 
took place as was advertised, at the Hotel of James K. 
Hyde, Sudbury, Vt., on Wednesday and Thursday, 
June 1 and 2. The days were remarkably fine, and a 
large number of farmers from the Western States and 
New-York, as well as those of Vermont, were present. 
The shearing of the sheep was superintended by a com¬ 
mittee of disinterested gentlemen, under whose in¬ 
spection every sheep was weighed after being shorn, and 
also its fleece. The utmost fairness was used, and an 
accurate account kept of the whole. We present below 
the report of the committee, which was kindly furnished 
us at the time for publication: 
Report of Committee —The undersigned having been 
invited to conduct the public shearing of a flock of pure 
French Merinos, owned by Mr. A. L. Bingham of 
Cornwall, Vt., certify that of the Eighty Ewes shorn, 
fifteen have been imported the present year, and from 
the effects of their voyage, sheared less than others of 
the same weight of carcass; ficen.fi/wereIambsdropped 
in February and March, and twenty in May and June, 
1852; twenty-four were two year old Ewes, shorn last 
season; and one a three year old Ewe with her lamb, 
that gave the heaviest fleece in the flock, viz: 33 
pounds. The lightest fleece shorn was eleven pounds 
four ounces. The total weight of carcass of the eighty 
sheep, after shearing, was 8,240! pounds, making 
an average weight of 103 pounds. The total weight of 
wool sheared from the eighty sheep, was 1,344! 
pounds, making an average weight of fleece of 16f 
pounds. 
Geo. B. Clark, Lconardsville, N. 1. 
Jesse Hines, Brandon, Vt. 
John Lewis, Poultney, Vt. 
D. H. Patch en, Westfield, N. Y. 
Caleb M. Dyer, Enfield, N. II. 
John Gregory, Northfield, Vt. 
C. D. Sweet, Shaftsbury, Vt. 
• Committee. 
It is proper to state that the wool is unwashed, and 
that its usual shrinkage in cleansing for manufactur¬ 
ing, is fifty-six per cent. One two-year old buck 
sheared 30 lbs. 8 oz. of wool; weight of carcass 216 lbs. 
Some fine Hereford cattle, also owned by Mr. Bing¬ 
ham, were shown on the occasion, and the exhibition of 
Vermont horses, mostly descendants of Black Hawk, 
was very fine. Among others we noticed a splendid 
chestnut stallion, owned by I. F. Benson, Esq., of 
Whiting, Vt., five years old, weighing 1,168 pounds, 
and possessing fine action; and also a two-year old 
chestnut stallion owned by Marshall S. Doty, Esq., of 
Salisbury, Vt., weighing 840 pounds, a very perfect an¬ 
imal. Both of these were sired by Black Hawk, and in 
form and action strongly resemble their sire. 
We have not room to speak at length of the musi¬ 
cal entertainment with which “ the shearing ” was en¬ 
livened, or the literary one with which it closed. We 
will allude more particularly to these another week. 
As a whole, the affair passed off to general satisfaction, 
and will not be without a beneficial influence. It is the 
design of the wool growers and sheep breeders of Ver¬ 
mont, to form themselves into a “ Sheep Shearing Club,” 
for the purpose of accurately testing the relative merits 
of the different breeds of sheep. 
0= Mr. S. W. Johnson, our well-known corres¬ 
pondent, who has been studying agricultural chemistry 
for the past three years, in New-Haven, Conn., sailed 
for Europe on the 9th of May, in company with M. C. 
Weld of Hartford, Conn. He goes to Europe for the 
purpose of continuing his studies under the ablest pro¬ 
fessors of chemistry in the German universities. We 
anticipate for him, from his thorough devotion to .this 
branch of science, and his sound and discriminating 
sense, a brilliant career of usefulness to his countrymen, 
when he shall have fulfilled his preparatory course of 
studies. Mr. Weld is also engaged in the same 
course of study, and will, we trust, be an able co-work¬ 
er in the field of agricultural science—a field now almost 
barren of really able and educated men. 
Foreign Correspondence. —Bev. J. A. Nash, of 
Amherst, Mass., author of “ The Progressive Farmer,” 
and who -was recently appointed Instructor of Agricul¬ 
ture in Amherst College, sailed for England in the pack¬ 
et ship Northampton, on the 19th inst. Mr. Nash will 
spend the summer in examining into the systems of ag¬ 
riculture pursued in Great Britain and the continent, 
for the purpose of better qualifying himself for the new 
appointment conferred upon him by the trustees of the 
college.; and we are gratified in being able to statist hat 
the readers of The Country Gentleman may expect 
to hear from him weekly during his absence. We anti¬ 
cipate a series of letters which will prove both interest¬ 
ing and useful to our readers. 
At the last meeting of the Massachusetts Board of 
Agriculture, the following testimonial to Prof. J. A. 
Nash, was adopted. 
Whereas , The Bev. John A. Nash, Professor of 
Theoretical and Practical Agriculture in Amherst Col¬ 
lege, and a member of this Board, is about to visit 
England and other countries of Europe, for the pur¬ 
pose of gaining information relating to the science and 
practice of Agriculture, this Board takes pleasure in 
testifying to the high personal character and the scien¬ 
tific attainments of Prof. Nash, and to his zeal in the 
cause to which he has devoted himself; and cordially 
commend him to the kind regards of the scientific and 
practical agriculturists, and of all agricultural associa¬ 
tions in the countries which he is about to visit. 
Ovid Academy. —We are glad to learn that this in¬ 
stitution, which was re-organized last autumn, under a 
corps of teachers of high character, and with a Depart¬ 
ment for Agricultural Instruction, is now in successful 
operation. Arrangements have been made, by which the 
Agricultural Department will be sustained for a term of 
five years, in order to fairly test the question as to 
whether the demand for instruction in the science of ag¬ 
riculture will be such as to warrant the establishment 
of this branch of education in connection with the usual 
academical studies. The trustees have been fortunate 
in securing the services of Mr. William II. Brewer, 
a graduate of the late Prof. Norton's Scientific School 
at Yale College, as teacher and lecturer on Agricultural 
Chemistry, Geology, Botany, <fec. Mr. B. has devoted 
several years to the study of agricultural chemistry, and 
is qualified, by his knowledge and practical good sense, 
for a correct and efficient instructor; and we are grati¬ 
fied to learn that the attendance in his department, and 
the progress made by the pupils, has been of the most 
encouraging character. Thorough instruction, such as 
we are confident he will impart, will do much to dispel 
the quackery now so rife on the subject of agricultural 
science, and we hope this effort to impart it, will meet 
with sueh success as to induce other academies to add 
this to their other studies. 
The Michigan Farmer. —This paper is hereafter 
to be edited by B. F. Johnston, formerly of this city. 
Mr. J. has much experience, both as a farmer and a 
printer, and we doubt not that after he “gets his hand 
in,” he will make a capital editor, and we bespeak for 
him the good offices of the friends of agricultural im¬ 
provement in Michigan. 
“ Consternation.” —We learn that E. W. Cahill, 
Esq., of Dalton, Wayne county, Ohio, has recently pur¬ 
chased of Col. Burnett, of Syracuse, one of Conster¬ 
nation's best stallion colts, with a view to improving the 
stock of horses in that section of Ohio. The colt was 
out of a Messenger mare, and is represented to be in 
many respects a very remarkable one. He will be three 
years old in September, and promises to be fast, large 
and handsome. The price paid was about $500. 
