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allow my ewes to get too fleshy, as they are liable to do if they have good 
rich grass. The disadvantage of a superabundance of flesh is, that ewes 
in this condition often become barren. The difficulty is more likely to 
occur with the South Downs than the Leicesters. I commenced my flock 
of South Downs in the fall of 1350, by the purchase of six lambs, five 
ewes, and one buck. They were from the flock of Leonard Sheaf, of 
New Hamburg, Dutchess county, N. Y., and since that time I have made 
several small purchases from the best flocks in New York, which State, 
I believe, stands first in the Union for carcass sheep. My Leicesters, I 
purchased in the fall of 1852, of Elias L. Barlow', of Dutchess county, 
N. Y., who, I think, has taken, in the last five years, more premiums 
for long-wooled sheep at the New York State Fairs and those of the 
American Institute, than any other man. 
“In the summer I keep my sheep on grass, and in the winter on good 
bay, both breeds fareing alike to test their relative merits. For two weeks 
before dropping, I feed each one daily half a pint of oats, or an equal 
amount of nutriment in other grain. After lambing, I feed the ewes 
once a day with carrots, cut fine, to those having twins, and full half of 
my South Downs and one quarter of my Leicester ewes are thus blessed. 
I give, in addition, a pint of wheat bran mixed v r ith water, till well 
wet, and if the lambs get too large before their mothers go to grass, I 
add a little oat, corn, or barley meal to the bran. 
“ I sheared last spring twelve South Down ewes that raised lambs, 
and their fleeces clean washed weighed thirty-five pounds. From a buck 
of the same breed, two years old, I clipped seven and one quarter pounds 
of clean wool. The lio-htest fleece of four Leicester ewes weighed four 
and three quarter pounds, and the heaviest seven and a quarter. 
“In answer to your request for my opinion as to the most profitable 
kind of sheep for the Wisconsin farmer, I will give it to you frankly and 
freely, and my reasons for the same, allowing you to judge of their 
weight and force. From my letter referred to, you can see that 1 have 
had considerable experience in fine-wooled sheep in this State. In New 
York, for several years, I was well acquainted with the long-wooled 
breeds, and in this country I have had five years experience in South 
Downs. Taking into consideration keeping, wool, and carcass, I give 
the latter breed preference to all others I have kept. 
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