The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-24

ri,.g'iing is gi.en to tue Indian corn, harrow it
snic,..h and SOW tuvnips. TIE largest may be
drawn, 49, sae re mianderi.5 ON the ground when
1t is bare In &c winter or spring. Pumpkins
would, believe, k.ep the flock in f"e heart ill
Janaary, and, If preserved from the frost, TO n
much later period. IHSre seen them sold in Pa
ris through the whole winter. ve,ches sown cn
light land, and dressed with gypsum, would
yield = certain crop, aud give the ewes u flush of
milk, and thus save the pastures, that are iniur-
ed by early feeding, and preserve the grass for
tie dry season. Wheat or rye soesn early, ard
onrnip seed with it, has been tried 10 advantage.
The ,Urnips are fed of when the ground is dry
or frozen, and the grain, though fed down, has
been benefited by the trampiing and dung ct
the sheep, more than 10 compensate this irconye.
nience.
1 should, before Ironclndc, say somsthing up-
on the migration ofthe Spsrlsi, HOck TO witch
tile iineness OF their wool has beeu attTire;ed
The travelling Merinos of Spsin a,nont to above
5000, 900 they are driven TO the great injury
of agriculture from very remote parts OF the
kingdom, to the mountains, where they pass the
summer. and arc wintered in the plains. This
keeps the wolfram degcnerat;ng, by saving the
| sheep from the fold, and airprding them that
shade, water, and nourishment that they could
not meet with i'll the dry pastures of Spain during
the hot season. But experience has demonstra.
ted, that this is not essential where they are well
Kept o nthc plains. There are many STATIONARY
focSs of Merinos in Spain, whose wool is not in
ferior To that OF those that travel. On the other
hand, there are large focks of sheep in the
northeast OF France, that do travel 70 the noun.
tains during the summer, and vet bear very
coarse fecees. The Merinos introduced into
France and Sweden never travel, and yet their
wool has not degenerated.
Ifear, gentlemen, that ] have trespassed too
long upon your patience, but l confess TO you that
consider the improvement ofour fiocks by the in
tcrmixture of this breed, as an important object
IN agriculture, and as one that must form the ba-
SIS otour woolien manufacture. Happily we have
the mems ofextending this Improvement. Col.
Eumphrles has imported f'am Spain or Portugal a
large flock of NJ crimes, and, lam told, letsout the
rams to such Us may require them. NV small
lock from France, together with those i expect
out IN the spring, will extend the breed to the
northern parts ofthe State. Some other gent,e-
men have rams, and The prohibition upon the cx-
port from France having been taken off last .au-
tumn, more VIII probably be imported. Even
The half biooded rams viii contribute greatly to
improve our iiocks, and ofthcse I presume MANY
may now be procured. The Samples Of wool
which / procured while I WIS at Paris for your
Inspection, VIII show the progressive improve
Eent by crossing with all the different breeds of
sheep that could be got in France.
Having been amoug the hrst to Introduce the
use or gypsum and clover in this State. and. by
precePt and example, to enforce a system which
l lave now the satisfaction 10 find general. in
spite OF thc preiudices by whic, it was at
hrst opposed, j tfatter pyseif with the hope of be-
ing also instrumental in ~eifccting another impor.
iant Improvement in agriculture, and of having
the toapdatlon for a useful manufacture, in few
er years than 1T mas taken TO introduce TIC gyp-
sum which, indeed, by the Improvement /, HIS
made IN our grass grounds, has laid = foundation
for the ameiloration of our sheep. 1t is to the sub
staptiai farmer that we must look for the first steps
toward tins improvement. They will not. be dc.
tered by the advances which the first in the
selection ofthe best ewes and rams NAV occasion.
Ifey Will not suffer them to degenerate through
want ot proper pastures in summer, and good
clover hay, with potatoes and turnips, in the win
ter. And by wearing tbe wool OF their own
hocks, they will convince their fellow-citizens Of
the pracucabi!ity of supplying their wants with
cloths, equal, at least, to those of foreign manu-.
~factare, and at a much inferior price. 1t may in
deed, till we have made some further advances
in dying and dressing, want that gloss which it
receives in foreign fabricks a gloss which
wears off in a few days, and is known, withou,
adding to It's sottness, warmth or beauty, to iniure
its strength.