1851. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
151 
dry fleece with “ dead ends,” as they acknowledge that 
the wool from oily sheep, is manufactured with much 
less waste—is easier worked, and will make handsomer 
and more lasting cloth, than the wool of sheep quite 
destitute of oil. But there is another kind of gummy 
matter, quite different in its appearance and effects from 
the above. This may he observed in yellow, thick, 
pitchy particles within the fleece, and does not circulate 
freely to the end of the wool; consequently the fleece 
ha3 alight colored surface with “ dead ends;” and as 
the wool cannot be freed from this thick, adhesive gum 
by a common cold water wash, such fleeces will show a 
larger per cent of skrinkage in cleansing, than any others. 
I dislike light colored Merinos, very much, and have 
never yet seen any with as fine and perfect wool as can 
be found in the best wooled varieties with a dark sur¬ 
face. I believe dark colored Merinos that are free from 
this thick, yellow gum within the fleece, are more high¬ 
ly appreciated by well informed wool-growers at the 
present time than formerly. I sell from 30 to 35 year¬ 
ling bucks annually, and I find, that when other things 
are about evenly balanced, the best judges of sheep 
seleet those with a dark surface. 
I send you samples of wool from my sheep that you 
may judge something of the character of the fleeces in 
regard to oil and yolk, as well as the complexion and 
fineness. I think I can show as even a flock of like 
number as there is in the country. You can judge of 
the uniformly fine quality of my wool from the fact that 
out of 1447 lbs. sorted at the White River Wool Depot, 
there were only nine pounds “No. 2,” the remainder 
being classed in the three higher qualities. 
The average weight of my last year’s clip of wool, 
exclusive of any wethers or bucks’ fleeces, except lambs, 
was 4 lbs. 6 oz. which brought me, through the agency 
of the Wool Depot, at the rate of $1.86 per fleece. 
The annual income of my flock by the sale of wool and 
surplus sheeep, (which included my bucks, wether lambs 
and my oldest and most objectionable ewes) was $3.17 
per head. 
I believe if wool-growers, whose sheep are not below 
a medium character, would select their most approved 
ewes and cross them with the very best bucks, with fine 
and heavy fleeces, they could, in a few years, obtain a 
flock that would average 4 lbs. or more, of clean washed 
wool that would sort as “fine” and “No. 1.” Ebnr. 
Bridge. Pomfret, Vt., Feb. 1851. 
Keeping Fowls—Value of their Manure. 
At a late agricultural discussion in this city, Mr. 
Chester Moses, of Skaneateles, made some valuable 
remarks on poultry keeping. He stated that for seve¬ 
ral years past he had kept 600 to 700 fowls, and the last 
winter kept 900. His chief object is eggs, of which his 
fowls average about 100 each, annually. They are not 
confined, but are allowed to range at will. Their food 
is principally wheat screenings, with some corn, buck¬ 
wheat, and animal offal. He is also particular to allow 
them plenty of oyster-shells, pounded, of which, espe¬ 
cially during spring, or at the season when they lay most, 
they eat large quantities. The lime of the oyster-shells 
doubtless contributes to the formation of the shell of 
the egg, and perhaps assists, also, in the digestion of 
the food. 
He keeps the Polish or Top-knot fowls, and the com¬ 
mon country stock—prefers the former on account of 
their laying more steadily the first year, or two years— 
thinks there is not much difference in the black and 
spangled varieties of Top-knots, His general practice 
is not to keep fowls after the second year; as they 
do not lay so well after that age, they are regularly 
sold off, and the stock is kept up chiefly by purchase, 
though some chickens are raised; and it is only for 
the latter object that cocks are kept, Mr. M, being 
satisfied that they are of no benefit in the production of 
eggs for market, 
Mr. Moses considers the manure of his fowls of much 
importance, and takes care that it is all saved and ap¬ 
plied to his crops. Under the building in which the 
fowls roost, is a cellar, into which all the manure is put. 
In spring, a few weeks before planting time, the manure 
is worked over and mixed with plaster—sometimes with 
plaster and ashes in equal proportions—using enough 
of these articles to make the manure so dry as to pul¬ 
verize thoroughly. 
This domestic guano, of which Mr. M. sometimes has 
the quantity of 300 bushels in a season, produces a 
powerful effect on the growth of Indian corn. His 
mode of applying it is, to drop a handful in each hill, 
which is then covered half an inch or more with earth, 
in order to prevent the seed from coming in immediate 
contact with the manure, which experience has shown 
would prevent its germination. Mr. M. stated that he 
had tried this compost in comparison with good hog 
manure, by applying each to corn in the same field and 
on similar soil. On one part, half a shovel full of hog 
manure was put in a hill, and on the other part, a hand¬ 
ful of the hen manure compost. The crop was best 
where the latter was used, and the succeeding crop, 
(which was oats,) showed the same result in favor of 
the hen manure. 
On another occasion he manured ten acres with the 
hen manure, which produced sixty bushels of corn to 
the acre. On a part of this piece, he used the manure 
only on alternate rows, leaving the intermediate rows 
with no application. The ears were “ mere nubbins” 
on the rows that had no manure. He planted pump¬ 
kins on a row that had no manure, and on another row 
that had the proportion given to the rest of the field. 
The row which had no manure, produced no pumpkins 
of any value; the other produced fifty-one fair sized, 
good pumpkins. 
Mr. M. stated that his son was engaged with another 
person in the poultry trade, and that in the winter of 
18-49-50, they sent between twenty and thirty tons 
to New-York and Boston. 
Increase of Chess.—Vm. Little, in his address 
before the Mahoning county (O.) Agricultural Society # 
remarks that the increase of chess from seed, is much 
more rapid than farmers are generally aware of. He 
says, “if the wheat crop is injured or destroyed, the 
chess plant, which, if surrounded by strong and healthy 
wheat plants, would make but a small and feeble growth, 
spreads itself far and wide, and assumes the place of its 
unfortunate rival. The result of one seed thus acci¬ 
dentally dropped would astonish one. I have myself 
counted 78 stalks, each stalk averaging 20 seeds, making 
about 1560 seeds from one single plant; multiply this 
all over the field, and it is not hard to tell where all the 
chess comes from.” 
