Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-01-15
SHEEP HIISRANDRY

Il. Tucker ESQ., have noticed many articles
IN your paper, headed Heavy Fleeces-and Fine
Sheep" AS have been a wool grower for the
last thirty years. and have seldom, if ever IN that
time wintered less than three hundred it seems not
improper for me also, for to speak on this sub
ject | commenced early with half blood mernos
and in 1892, | selected twenty ewes from lot Of
full blooded merinos, in WATERFOWL CT. About
1914, our late Chief Justice, r. Skinner, purchased
alot of tull booded merinos, from bis native coun-
ty, Litchield, CT, then called the Humphrey sheep
In 1924, he purchased Saxony buck. The scab
got into his lock and IN his absence to the South
ern States, by neglect of good care, large num-
Der of his flock of five hundred, died-and forum
atey, some would say, his SaXony buck among the
number On his return, in 1927, purchased his
entire flock Of ewes, about one hundred and fifty.
/ have bred from the full-blooded merino since
them and mostly from bucks from Consul Jarvs's
flock. | have had three bucks and few ewes oui
Of the Shaker flock, Enfield, N. H..
My manner of improving my flock has been the
following:
No observing wool-grower can have failed TO no
tice, that as great differences exist among sheep as
to the length, thickness and fneness Of wool, as Of
the hair of the COW. The first care of good dai-
ry-man is to select his best for MILK quantity
and quality. Build is a second object. By proper
crossing of these selections our best breeds of cat
tie are produced l have had ewes apparently out
of the same original stock, and at three years old
producing but three pounds wool, and miserable
lamb; another of the same age and IN the same
order, shearing five and quarter pounds, and rails
ing good lamb, The fleece Of the first will be
Short thin, and of a rotten deadly appearace. The
other long, thick, and of fine, silky, lively appear
ance. This last, breed from, as long as good
keeping will enable me TO. have now eve 1e
years old, with a likely lamb by her side, and an
other IA years old, that has raised lamb, this year
with as much grain as both would eat, which at
months old, weighed one hundred and zine pounds
From flock of three hundred and twenty, select
annually, one hundred for breeding, in the Spring
before shearlng two years old, and upwards. From
this selection mark twenty or thirty Of those that
have thick, long, fine wool, free from gum jar
any appearance of coarse wool or hair on the flank
or tail. The female part of the increase of the
lection are preserved; without this attention to
marking the best ewes before shearing, the best Of
the flock will be disposed of after shearing give
my one hundred ewes six quarts of corn per day
My lambs seldom have any grain. The remainder
OF the flock have no grain. All are housed in the
winter, and have access to good water and salt, al
all times. have many ewes which, from old age
shear light feeces. Yet my whole flock of ovel
three hundred, yield four pounds four ounces pei
head. have no ten to thirteen pound fieeces-
My heaviest buck fleece weighed eight and hal
pounds.
There is but little known as to the weight O.
wool from the weight of fleece. tried the ex
pertinent once upon two bucks. One weighed
over lbs, and the other Ia lbs, both in tn,
same order and washed alike. The largest fleece
weighed, after being ceansed, 3 l-2 pounds anc
the other 4 pounds do not believe fine woolet
sheep can be produced in Vermont, that will in ont
year yield lbs. Of well ceansed wool. | hopt
your correspondents viii send you the amount o
the fleece well cleansed, and the price their woo
brings this year. sold my last wears clip the stl
Of last March, and this years clip last month
The average price Of both clips is 80 10 cents
During the last seven years it is as follows:-M,
clip of 1912 and '43 sold in 1913, at "a, 36' IA al
AZ, and 20 cents ~
fear not the West. The increase of sheen
Zine Sheep does not keep pace with the increase
of population. Fine wool yields better profit Il
the farmer even at this time, than any other agri