154 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
FARMING IN GERMANY—SHEEP. 
We have received a well written essay on the above 
subjects, from the pen of J. S. Carr, Esq. an English 
gentleman, resident in the Duchy of Luxemburg, of 
which we propose giving an abstract to our readers. 
The state and progress of agriculture abroad, must al¬ 
ways be a subject of interest to the American farmer, 
for though many of their practices, owing to various 
circumstances, are not applicable in this country; yet 
many valuable hints for our conduct may be derived, and 
multitudes of facts, from which we should be able to 
profit, are in this way elicited. 
The soil of the country, the farming of which is par¬ 
ticularly described by Mr. Carr, is elevated and sandy, 
with districts of rich loams and heavy clays, and culti¬ 
vated with much “ plodding industry.” The size of the 
farms varies from 50 or 60 acres in the hands of the 
peasantry, to 500 or 2,000 in the hands of the farmer or 
proprietor. The buildings are about the centre of the 
estate, and consist of the dwelling house, flanked by 
rows of very large buildings, often 200 feet long by 60 
broad. These contain the stables, cow house and dairy, 
sheep house, and barns for the whole crops. The 
threshing floor is immense, admitting a four horse wag¬ 
on of grain at once, and shelter to a dozen such loads 
if necessary, at a time. The number of cows depends 
on the size of the farm, varying from 300 to 400, exclu¬ 
sive of young cattle and oxen. The sheep house is able 
to contain from 500 to 5,000 sheep ; for shelter for the 
flock, be it large or small, is considered indispensable in 
Germany, thus corroborating the opinions of our cor¬ 
respondent “ L. A. M.” on the management of sheep, 
most fully. 
One of the most valuable crops cultivated is rape, 
which, though somewhat uncertain from the attacks of 
insects, is much prized for its oil, and for feeding cattle. 
The crop is frequently worth from £10 to £20 per acre. 
The straw is generally burned and scattered over the 
fields. For manuring, the basis of improvement is a 
dressing of marl, (containing about 60 per cent of lime.) 
at the rate of 164 cubic feet per acre. The deposites of 
ponds, marsh mud, peat, and in short, every mode of 
making manure is practiced with skill and success. 
These are combined with the large quantities of muck 
from the stables, sheep yards, pig pens, <k.c. and all ren¬ 
dered available to the utmost extent. 
Within a few years a system of farming, based on the 
principle of rotation, has been adopted with the best 
success, and a great improvement of the crops and the 
soil. 
“ The rotation is now generally of ten years, viz:—1st year, 
allow well dunged; 2d, rape; 3d, wheat; 4th, barley; 5th, 
(light dunging) peas ; 6th, rye; 7th, oats sown with rye or ti¬ 
mothy grass seeds and red clover, which as well as the peas, 
is gypsumed with great effect before the dew has iett the 
plant in a May morning. The clover is mown twice for hay, 
and left two years longer for pasture.” 
Good cattle and horses from England are gradually 
supplanting the native stock ; although for the purposes 
of the dairy, we understand cows of the common breed 
are still preferred. The farm horse of the north of 
Germany is described by Mr. Carr, as “ a long legged, 
small bodied, big headed, shapeless animal, bred in Hol¬ 
stein or the Danish islands ; liis price from £15 to £20, 
and two tons is a load for four of them, in a wagon 
over country roads.” The cows are not considered as 
very remunerating, but they are necessary to convert the 
straw and hay into manure. They are frequently let to 
the dairy man at £2 to £2 10s. per head. 
It is to the sheep, however, and those of the Saxon or 
Merino breed, that the farmer of the north of Germany 
looks for his profit, and it is a source that rarely fails 
him. The greatest pains are taken to keep these breeds 
pure and separate Irom all others, as on the fact oi all 
the fleeces of a fioclc resembling each other in quality, 
much of the profit is depending. We shall make an ex¬ 
tract or two from that part of Mr. Carr’s essay parti¬ 
cularly relating to sheep, as it is a subject of increasing 
interest to the northern farmer, and the whole United 
States: . 
“The Merino is a long legged, narrow bodied, ugly animal, 
with a fleece varying in weight in proportion to its coarseness, 
(although fine wool is specifically heavier than coarse) Irom 
two to three pounds. The staple is very close and thick grow- 
incr, greasy and oily to the feel, elastic and soft, very tenacious, 
and formed differently from any other wools, with a number 
of minute bends or curls in each hair.” 
In order to improve and render uniform the wool, 
breeders keep large numbers of rams, the wool of which, 
carefully cleansed, is submitted to experienced staplers, 
and among 50 or 100 rams, that to the inexperienced 
eye would present little difference in appearance, very 
great differences of quality and general goodness will 
be found. Those, the wool of which is the most uni¬ 
form in fineness as well as the best in quantity, are se¬ 
lected for the improvement of the flock, and it is by con¬ 
tinued recurrence to this mode that much of the supe¬ 
riority of the German or Saxon wool is owing. 
“There are in the north of Germany two kinds of the Me¬ 
rino, the first the Infantado, or Nigretti; distinguished by its 
shorter le°s, and a stouter make; the head and neck general¬ 
ly short and broad, the nose short and turned up, and the 
body round like a barrel. The wool is often matted upon the 
neck, back and thighs, and grows upon the head to the eyes, 
and upon the legs to the very feet. The grease upon the fleece 
is almost pitchy, and as the dust becomes incorporated with 
it, the washing is a matter of difficulty and some risk. 
The fleece of this species is generally thicK., close grown, and 
abundant. Ewes may average and even 3^ pounds by 
careful feeding, (which, however, must never approach to 
feeding to be fat, else the wool becomes wirey and hard;) 
and rams and wethers may bring four and even six pounds. 
This is the animal that came to Austria from Spain.” 
We may add that this was also the animal first im¬ 
ported into the U. States from Spain, by Messrs. Hum¬ 
phreys & Livingston. 
“ The other breed is the distinct one called in Spain the 
Escurial, and from this was made the Saxon importation in 
1765. Their shape differs markedly from the Infantado, 
longer legged, with a long spare neck and head, with very 
little wool on the latter, a liner, shorter, softer character in its 
fleece, but deficient in quantity. 1.) lbs. to 2 lbs. is frequently 
the amount from ewes, and 2 lbs. to 3 lbs. from rams and 
wethers. On being presented to the Elector of Saxony, in 
1765, they received the appellation of Electorals. A great 
deal of trouble has been taken to combine the advantages of 
both breeds by crossing, but with doubtful advantage, and, 
although the mixed breed has been found suitable for crossing 
with sheep not thorough bred, (called Mestizen,) yet experi¬ 
ence has shown, that to breed with advantage, all the rams, 
be the ewes what they may, should be thorough-bred Infan- 
tadoes or Escurial, and that the same strain of blood should 
be persevered in. Good rams are of course every year be¬ 
coming more attainable, but there are examples of breeders 
in Saxony who still obtain for distinguished rams, as much as 
100, 200, or even 300 Louis d’ors.” 
This coin is worth $4.35, consequently such rams are 
worth from $450 to $1,300, a price which will well 
remunerate the extra attention paid them. 
The question has been frequently asked, why, when 
there is such a demand for fine wools in Britain, and 
so much attention is there paid to the breeding of sheep, 
that the Merino has not been introduced into that country. 
The remarks of Mr. Carr on that point, will give a sa¬ 
tisfactory answer, and will also show that the climate 
of the United States is well adapted to the production 
of fine wool, when reasonable precautions for their 
comfort in our winters are adopted. We may add, that 
great efforts are at this time making to acclimate the 
Nigretti breed of the Merino in England, Lord Western 
having a flock of very fine English Merinos; but the 
attention and care paid to his, if absolutely neeessary, 
must render their general introduction impossible. The 
experience of each succeeding year proves there is no¬ 
thing to prevent the U. Stales becoming the greatest 
wool growing, as it is the greatest cotton growing coun¬ 
try on the globe. 
“ I am aware that these sheep have been frequently brought 
to Britain from Spain, but there never was labor more lost, as 
they cannot thrive in a damp climate ; besides, it is quite ne¬ 
cessary that they should have a wide range of dry and hilly 
pasture, of short and not over nutritious grass or herbage, if 
allowed to feed on swampy or marshy mound, even once or 
twice in autumn, they are sure to die of liver complaint in the 
following spring. It they are permitted to eat wet grass, or 
exposed frequently to rain, they disappear by hundreds, with 
consumption. In these countries it is found that the higher 
bred the sheep are, especially the Saxon or Escurial, the more 
tender. They are always housed at night, even in summer; 
except in the very finest weather, when they are sometimes 
folded in the distant fallows; but never taken to pasture till 
the de w is off the grass. In winter they are kept within doors 
altogether, and are fed with a small quantity of sound hay, 
and every variety of straw which has not. suffered from wet, 
and which is varied at every feed; they pick it over care¬ 
fully, eating the finer parts and any grain that may have been 
left by the threshers. Abundance of good water to drink, 
and rock salt in their cribs are indispensable.” 
Mr. Carr states the wages of active young men per 
annum, who board in the house, to be from 25 to 30 dol¬ 
lars ; exclusive of certain trifling perquisites, called sack 
money, arising from ail grain sold, &c. On the large 
farms there are always more or less married men em¬ 
ployed, and their wives are always included among the 
farm laborers. “ The wages may be averaged for men, 
from the first of May to the first of November, at IGd. 
and in winter 8d. per day, [16 to 20 cents per day,] the 
women always 2J. less. Notwithstanding this low rate 
of wages, poverty is rare, and wandering beggars are 
unknown.” 
Comparati ve Value of Articles used as Food. 
Professor Silliman has given a translation of M. Dom- 
basie’s experiments with several articles in feeding ani¬ 
mals. Seven lots of seven sheep each were selected, of 
nearly equal weight, kept in separate divisions of the 
stable, the weight of each lot ascertained once a week, 
and the experiment continued five weeks. One of the 
lots was fed exclusively on lucerne hay, of which each 
sheep was found to eat 15 pounds per week. Each of 
the other lots received half the quantity of lucerne, and 
enough of other kinds of food named to keep them in 
good health, and of the same weight. The kinds of 
food used were, dry lucerne, oil cake, oats and barley, 
raw potatoes, cooked potatoes, beets and carrots; of these 
substances, the quantity found necessary to equal the 
half ration or 7A pounds of lucerne, withheld from all 
the lots excepting the first, was as follows:— 
Oilcake,.. H lbs. 
Barley,. 3i| “ 
Oats,!. 3 “ 
Raw potatoes, .... 14 “ 
Cooked potatoes,.. 13 “ 
Beets,. lb “ 
Carrots,. 23 “ 
or in other words, 23 pounds of carrots were only equal 
to 7 i pounds of lucerne hay, 4 pounds of oil cake, or 3 
pounds of oats. It may be remarked that the quantity 
of water drank by each lot of sheep was also accurate¬ 
ly ascertained, and while those fed on grain and oil 
cake used during the experiment about 200 quarts of 
water to each lot, those fed on roots did not use 100 
quarts; and those on carrots, only 36 quarts. 
Nutritive Qualities of Sugar. 
All who have paid attention to the subject of nutri¬ 
tion, whether practically or theoretically, are aware 
that sugar is one of the most nutritive of substances; 
yet that it is impossible to subsist upon it alone for any 
considerable length of time. This truth received a me¬ 
lancholy confirmation in the death of Stark, the Vienna 
experimentalist, who fell a victim in an experiment of 
this nature. There is but a shade of difference in the 
elementary atoms of sugar, starch and wood, according 
to the statements of Berzelius and Prout; and the infer¬ 
ence therefore, that it must be nutritive, is found to 
agree with the fact. An experiment was made in the 
Indies, of feeding cavalry horses on sugar, and when 
mixed with a small quantity of cut hay or straw, was 
pronounced the best of feed; alone, it did not distend 
the stomach, the action of that organ was impaired, and 
in the cases persevered in, disease and death followed. 
The author of a Year’s residence in Cuba, states that 
though the labor of the sugar making season is the most 
severe of any to which the slaves are subjected, yet they 
always grow fat and sleek in that employment; a fact 
attributed to their making a free use of the cane, and 
the expressed juice and syrup. It is probably to its 
containing so much more saccharine matter than other 
beets, that the white silesian or sugar beet, is so valua¬ 
ble as a food for animals. It has indeed been supposed 
by some that the nutritive qualities of any substance 
could be correctly estimated, by a knowledge of the su¬ 
gar it contained, or of the materials capable of conver¬ 
sion by animal chemistry into that substance. 
In the early settlement of all wooded new countries, 
the article most relied upon for the winter subsistence 
of cattle, until grass or grain can be grown, is browse , or 
the terminal branches of twigs of trees; and of these, 
there is none so valuable or nutritive as those of the sugar 
maple. We well remember with what eagerness, as the 
tall maples fell before the axe of the woodsman, the cows 
and oxen would plunge into the snow to he the first at 
the feast; and we have never known a stock of animals 
more hearty or in better condition, than when fed in that 
way, with each a 1 nubbin’ of corn daily. 
A correspondent of the Journal at Syracuse, Ononda¬ 
ga, has furnished another proof that the sap of the ma¬ 
ple, or in other words sugar in solution, is of value as 
food for animals. He says :— 
“ A neighbor of mine tapped his sugar bush about the 1st 
of March last, and from that, to the present time, our hogs 
have daily run in the woods in which the trees are tapped. 
Soon after the sap weather commenced, we began to see a 
change in the condition of our hogs, and remarked upon the 
impossibility of their thriving so, on what few nuts and roots 
they could get. In the course of a week or ten days after 
their thrifty appearance commenced, we happened to be in 
the bush, when they made their visit to the sap. The myste¬ 
ry was at once explained. From that time we noticed that 
they made constant visits to the troughs. We could see that 
our shoats grew plump daily, and even, fat, and that too from 
drinking maple sap. I should think they gained one-fourth in 
weight, while they had access to the sap. Since the sugar 
season has passed, they have remained nearly stationary; 
another proof of what I have said. Next spring, I am mis¬ 
taken if my slop barrel does not have plenty of this beverage, 
in readiness for my pigs.” 
We would hint to the correspondent of the Journal, 
that although there is no doubt of the nutritive qualities 
of sugar in bulk or solution, yet if he will make a li¬ 
beral addition oflndian or barley meal, to his slop barrel 
of sap, or allow his pigs a good range of wood land, 
abounding in shack, we will venture to say he will find 
the thrift of his swine greater than if confined to maple 
sap alone. _ 
SALT FOR ANIMALS. 
The importance of furnishing salt to domestic ani¬ 
mals, does not appear to be sufficiently understood. 
Though all are aware of the avidity with which ani¬ 
mals eat it when given them; there are many who 
scarcely salt their animals through the season. Nowit 
is evident that animals should have it at all times at 
their command. They will never eat more than is good 
for them, and it is essential to their health and comfort. 
The quantity allowed in Spain for 1000 sheep, is 25 
quintals, probably twice the amount the same number 
usually get in this country; and this quantity is consu¬ 
med liy them in about five months, they getting little 
in the winter or while journeying to and from their 
mountain pastures. Lord Somerville allowed a ton of 
salt to a thousand sheep, and found they consumed the 
most in the spring and fall, and at these seasons it was 
probably most useful to them as a security against dis¬ 
ease. Of its value for animals in a medicinal point of 
view, the following fact, stated by the celebrated Cur- 
wen, must be deemed decisive:— 
“ Before I commenced giving my cattle salt, my farrier’s 
bill averaged 58 pounds per annum, (or more than 250 dol¬ 
lars,) and since I have used salt, I have never paid in any one 
year over five shillings.” 
Where cattle have access to sheds, troughs with a 
constant supply of salt in them, should he kept for 
their use. Where they must be salted in the fields, 
troughs should be placed, and salt supplied frequently. 
There will, in exposed troughs, always be more or less 
loss from rain, but that should not prevent a supply. 
It has been found an excellent practice where sheep 
alone come to the troughs, to put a little tar on the bot¬ 
tom, and sprinkle the salt upon it. In this way a small 
portion of the tar is taken with the salt, and is not only 
found conducive to health, but, rubbed in this way over 
the nose, serves to prevent the attacks of the Estrus 
ovis or sheep fly. 
