THE CULTIVATOR. 
37 
view, by entirely abolishing all tolls upon the transportation of 
gypsum and other manures? 
SHEEP HUSBANDRY—IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING FLOCKS—RA¬ 
VAGES OF THE WHEAT WORM. 
Judge Buel—Sir — I have taken the first and second volumes of 
the Cultivator, and can truly say, that I have taken much pleasure 
and satisfaction in the perusal; besides having been, already, more 
than ten times remunerated for the expense, in a pecuniary point of 
view, into the bargain. Feeling an anxious desire for its continu¬ 
ance and prosperity, I have procured twelve subscribers for the third 
volume, and send you enclosed six dollars. 
The communication of your correspondent, L. F. Allen, Esq., on 
farm buildings, and the management of farm stock, &.C., in the ele¬ 
venth number of the second volume, I very highly appreciate, and 
commend it. to the careful perusal of every reader of the Cultivator. 
He says, “if I cut fifty tons of hay, and, by exposure in stacks to 
the weather, only forty of it can be eaten by the cattle, and one- 
quarter part of that even is trampled under loot, 1 had better have 
had only thirty tons of good hay in my barn, and even then my 
stock would have consumed five tons less by being warmly housed 
for the winter. This is a view of the case which I think must strike 
every thinking mind, and will apply itself to every domestic animal 
on the farm. To my own mind it has been most strikingly pre¬ 
sented by a year’s experience, and I am of opinion that the difference 
in the consumption of food, for the domestic stock of a farm, tak¬ 
ing in all the losses incident to the forage itself by want of housing, 
&.C., is at least thirty per cent, compared with the most economi¬ 
cal method of expending it; and in some cases even forty or fifty!” 
In speaking of his present management and manner of feeding, he 
says, “ I well know that they consume less food per head by thir¬ 
ty per cent, than they did during the last winter, when they were 
fed nearly, if not quite equal, to the ordinary method practised 
throughout the country. Our oxen, I am satisfied, perform more 
labor, the cows yield more milk, and all the animals consume less 
food bv being thus housed and attended.” Is not this then a sub¬ 
ject worthy the careful consideration of every farmer 1 I think it 
is: and from more than twenty years’experience in housing and 
feeding cattle in mangers, if any thing was wanting in corrobora¬ 
tion of his testimony, to induce farmers to try it, I would cheerful¬ 
ly add mine. Instead of tying them in stalls, however, I have sub¬ 
stituted gates between each one, the advantages of which are, they 
are more easily, and in less time, put up and turned out, and are not 
so liable to injure themselves, and cannot possibly injure others, as 
they sometimes do, by getting loose, when tied. 
For eight winters past, including the present, I have kept from 
100 to 180 sheep—merinos crossed with Saxony—which I have al¬ 
so fed under cover, and am not sensible that it has had a tendency 
either to diminish their appetites, or injure their constitutions, in the 
least; but am satisfied that the preservation of their health requires 
this indulgence, and nature prompts to it. In the language of an 
able writer, I would ask, “ if they have the choice, do they remain 
in the open air in a storm 7” From eight years’ experience, I know 
they do not—“ they as instinctively run to their covering as a man 
does to his house, and if they do not require it quite as much, they 
appear as grateful for the shelter. For a flock of poor sheep, a pro¬ 
tection from the weather is very important. Those in good condi¬ 
tion do not so much want it, as they have a better coat, both of 
flesh and wool; but for them it is likewise useful.” In giving an 
account of the management of my flock, for several years past, I 
cannot do it better, perhaps, than by adopting, in a great measure, 
the language of an able correspondent in the first volume of the 
Cultivator. Generally by the 20th of November, (sometimes ear¬ 
lier,) I separate my flock in the following manner: In one yard I 
put my last spring lambs; in another I put my yearling ewes and 
wethers; in a third my elder ewes, and in the fourth my wethers, 
where they are kept and fed during the winter. This arrangement 
I consider highly important. They are now nearly of a size in each 
yard, and by being so, there are no strong ones among them to 
drive the weaker from their fodder, but all will feed alike and do 
well. I usually feed three times a day, rather sparingly than sump¬ 
tuously, with good hay, and occasionally give to one or more of my 
flocks, as I think they require it, a few oats, a little corn, or pota¬ 
toes. If my hay has not been salted, I allow salt constantly to lie 
in their troughs, that they may liek it at pleasure. Water I also 
consider almost indispensably necessary, while feeding on dry hay, 
and therefore allow it to each of my flocks, if possible. Many, 1 
believe, die for the want of it. 1 have sometimes, likewise, had a 
fifth, or hospital yard, for my old and poor sheep, (if I had any,) 
and if there were any in either flock that did not subsequently do 
well, they were removed into this yard, where, by being few in num¬ 
ber, and having a good warm shed, well littered, and a little better 
feed and attention paid to them, they generally soon b gan to im¬ 
prove and do well. I have, sometimes, actually had my hospital 
sheep in abetter condition, with this care, by spring, than any oth¬ 
er flock. I have, however, now and then, lost cue, either by casu¬ 
alty or old age; and in the winter and spring of 1832, I 1. st six¬ 
teen with the grub or maggot in the head, which baffled all my skill 
and care. I tried many experiments, such as blowing scotch snuff 
up their nostrils with a quill, and injecting snuff and vinegar up their 
nostrils with a syringe; also, French brandy, asafeetida, dissolved 
in water, the strong juice of tobacco, and spirits of turpentine; but 
was not successful with any, as every sheep that was taken died. 
I therefore know of no certain remedy for this disease, but am sa¬ 
tisfied, from experience, that a case will rarely occur if sheep are 
kept in good condition, and their noses are well tarred as often as 
once in three or four weeks, during the months of June, July, Au¬ 
gust and September. For the want of a little care and trouble, at this 
season of the year, many large flocks are almost entirely destroyed 
the following winter, while their owners blame their bad luck, but 
not their bad management. Sheep, to do well through the winter, 
must be in good condition when they begin it. If they are so, they 
pass through it without difficulty; but if they are poor at that sea¬ 
son, good provender and a regular supply of it, will hardly ensure 
them well through. To take good care of our sheep, then, during 
the summer and fall, is highly important to the farmer, which will 
be to him a great saving, both in sheep and fodder. To permit 
them to ramble over our fields in the fall, after the hard frosts of Oc¬ 
tober and November have destroyed the nutritious qualities of the 
grass, and until they are driven in by cold and snow, as too many 
farmers do, is to my mind, poor economy indeed ! and if they, ge¬ 
nerally, were aware of the prejudice! effects of such a practice, both 
to the sheep and to their own interests, would they not be willing 
to profit by the wisdom and experience of their neighbors ? and 
bring up their sheep earlier into winter quarters, where they can be 
better fed, before they begin to fail in flesh. 
To demonstrate to the satisfaction of the inexperienced, the ad¬ 
vantages of feeding sheep in winter under cover, in barns or sheds, 
I will add, that in the winter of 1825-6, 1 fed fifty-seven she^p (my 
entire flock,) in the open air. in yards, from racks, and in June fol¬ 
lowing, sheared from the same 163| pounds of wool, averaging 2 
pounds 14 ounces per head. In 1826-7, I fed eighty-four in the 
same manner, and in June following, sheared 225 pounds 10 ounces 
of wool from the same, averaging only 2 pounds 11 ounces per 
head. The next winter my flock ( 101) were fed in the same man¬ 
ner, and in June I sheared 279 \ pounds of wool from them, averag¬ 
ing 2 pounds 12 ounces per head. But from three years’ experi¬ 
ence, and close observation, I was led to doubt the utility of feed¬ 
ing sheep on the ground, or in racks in the open air, in winter, and 
in the summer of 1828, I built me a barn for their particular accom¬ 
modation, and have since fed my entire flock under cover, to my 
entire satisfaction. 
In June, 1829, from 105, I sheared 3131b. averaging a trifle less than 31b. pr hd. 
“ 1830, “ 92, “ 293|lb. averaging 31b. 2Joz. per head. 
1831, “ 114, “ 425 do. 3 113 do. 
1832, “ 125, “ 396 do. 3 2| do. 
1833, “ 103, “ 348 do. 3 6 do. 
1834, “ 130, “ 462 do. 3 8 do. 
1835, “ 166, “ 521 do. 3 2J do. 
From the above it will readily appear at a glance, that at every 
shearing since I have fed under cover, my flock have produced, up¬ 
on an average, from two ounces to one pound more wool per head, 
than when fed in the open air; and I verily believe that I have sav¬ 
ed, at least, 25 per cent in fodder, besides a great number of sheep 
and lambs. Every farmer knows, that by foddering sheep on the 
ground, or in racks, especially in the fall and spring, and in rainy 
weather, much of the hay is wet, trampled under their feet and 
wasted. But here, in a barn, or under a shed, it is perfectly dry; 
and if not eaten, is not destroyed. By carrying it into the yard, 
other stock will readily ea Uvhat is left by the sheep. Here, also, 
