The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-05-01
Farming, &c.
From the Vermont Agriculturist,
Long-Wooled Sheep.


Az Sheep busbandry constitutes such an
;mnortant branch ofthe Agriculture of Yer
mont every Farmer should be well inform
al not ONLY in regard to the most success
nj method raising Sheep, but also in re-
ard to the different varieties, and their pc
liar qualities. Between the poorer grades
ithe native Sheep,-the long-legged, large
be!ied, curved backed, dog-haired race, and
the higher classes of improved breeds, there
are A great variety, some of which are wor-
INV the attention of the breeder, and others
more worthy the attention of the crows.
Without undertaking to decide which par
iicular breed are best adapted 10 the soil and
climate ofVermont, will simply state few
facts in regard TO the long-wooIed Sheep, |
and leave to others to decide which kind
will be most for their interest TO raise. The
principal varieties of the long-wooled Sheep
are the Leicester, the Blackwell or Improved
leicester, the Lincolnshire, and the Cots
void. The Leicesters have been extensive
yntroduced into Canada, and many ofthem
have found their way into the northern parts
of our State, and crossed with our native
breed, have effected decided improvement,
The Blackwell receive their name from the
celebrated English farmer,Mr Blackwell, and
are an improvement of the Leicester breed.
By judicious course of selecting from the
latter, such Sheep us are well formed and
which possessed such points rs he wished to
secure, he obtained breed the most perfect
symmetry ofform, and fattening qualities of
the highest order. One objection to these, is,
att for mutton they become so fat they cam
not be driven any distance to market without
Killing them. The Lincolnshire are a very
hrge, coarse-built Sheep, with heavy tieeces
of long wool, but not regarded as peculiarly
valuable except for their heavy feeces.
The Cotswold are thus described by an
English writer: "They are a large breed of
Sheep with long and abundant fleece, and
the ews are prolific and good nurses. The
wethers are now sometimes fattened at Ia
months, when they weighed from Is to "a
pounds to the quarter, paG at 2 years old in
crease TO 20 to 80 Ibis. The wool is strong,
mellow, and of good color, though rather
coarse, 6 to inches inlength and from to
Slbs the fleece. The superior hardihood of
the Improved C0tswoid over the Leicester
and their adaptation to- common treatment,
together with the prolific nature of the ewes
and their abundance lofmilk, have rendered
them in many places che rivals of the new
Lecesters. The quality of the mutton is con-
sdered superior to that ofthe Leicester, the
!aow being less abundant, with larger de-
gelOpment ofmuscle or flesh"
WtNO d sliluI' HUN III SOtS"OsI hDuSNp,
and find them to correspond mainly with
the foregoing description. Theyare hardy,
easily faitened, thrive on ordinary feed, ar
rive at maturity early, and shear about six
pounds on an nv erage, and the wool is worth
about 2Sc. when ful-blood merino is worth
81 ~ cts. They are peaceable Sheep
seldom Ieaping IL fence 2 l-2 feet high.
have crossed them with n flock of native
Sheep procured from Canada, probably hav-
ing some remote mixture of the Leicester:
and the lambs are of IL very superior quality
well formed and heavily aeeced. When
taken up last fall, they were nearly as large
as the old sheep, and We're worth at least u
third more for the butcher than the ordinary
avarage ofiambs.
The price ofwool is so fuctuatng, that it
is serious question, whether the safer pol
icy would not he; for Vermont farmers, to
turn their attention to the raising ola breed
of sheep, which will he profitable both for the
fleece and for the mutton. Some parts of
The State will probably be better ad. ,pted to
'one kind and some to another; but in many.
places am confident the farmers will find it
for their advantage Ito raise the Co1tswold
sheep in preference to the fine wool ed. but.
smaller variety. J.P. F.