The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-06-03

telllSlDly ana make the precise crosses re
CURED to give his wool that exquisite charac
ter for fneness and softness which it ultimate
ly obtained.
Much is SAID about the comparative value
of sheep with light and those with heavy
fleeces, without the subject being thoroughly
understood by the advocates of either.
have in my eye two clips,ea Of which were
well washed and clean, and weighed not quite
3 l-2 lbs. the fneness Of each was nearly
the same, but tho value Of the one was seve-
raj cents per pound more than the other. The
one was close compact wool, free from that
animal oil and gum with which the other
abounded. The advocate therefore of sheep
with heavy feeces must discriminate between
Aecces which, though equally heavy do not
yield the same weight Of available wool to the
manufacturer. To some extent this may be
judged ofby the hand and eye, but the scour-
ing liquor will tell the truth exactly, and eY-
cry breeder of sheep should become acquaint-
ed with its effects upon the fleece ofthe bucks
he intends using in his crosses.
| | have seen a statement of the relative
shrinkage of several clips of WOOL all well
washed and in good condition. Some shrunk
40 per cent, others only SO 1-3 The buck
have alluded to above would probably over.
90 even 40 per cent, reducing his 0pounds of
fleece to As pounds
In one word, every shepherd who would
act Understandings in so important matter
as the improvement of wool, must call in the
aid of that information which has been dcveI-
oped in this communication. / find that many
breeders of fine wool have enormously en-
braced the idea that the weight of the fleece
can not be Increased beyond lbs. without
injury to the quality of the wool, If the in
crease is to be produced merely in using
bucks with heavy heeees the position is i'm
pregnable; but if the increase is made by
careful breeding, so as to give roundness and
hrmness to the form and closeness and COM
pactness to the wool, then is the position I'M
sound.
! can name Saxon flock of the purest
blood, consisting of many hundred, composed
exclusively Of ewes and the proper proportion
of bucks, that shear more than three pounds
per sheep. Should the length of staple be
increased,b by the effect of climate or breeding,
this excellent flock will greatly exceed their
present large average, and this without any
deterioration ofits quality, which is now equal
to any in the country.
The Hon Mr.. Nicholas, of Gencssee, whose
long experience as a wool grower entities his
opinions to respect, informed me that after en-
quires made among manufacturers and others
he had altered his opinion on this point. lie
has, at considerable expense, brought sheep
from Washington county, Pa. for the purpose
of crossing with his flock, under the full be-
lief that he could increase the quantity Of
wool without atorielly dotcl iurallnS Its char
acter.
Mr. Daniel Rodgers, of Hoosic, also an en-
ncnt wool grower, and one who justly prides
himself upon the quality and condition of his
wool, holds the same opinion, and has pro-
ourod ohoUp fun the same place for the like
purpose.
Mr. Morell, of Tompkins county, so well
known for his excellent work on sheep, holds
the same opinion. | believe he goes so far
as to say that he can cross his SaXons with Sc
lected merinoes, without detriment
There must be good deal of difference in
the quantity of wool sheared from different
flocks, owing to the keep of the flock. DR.,
Beekman, after shearing, rejected forty ewes
from his very superior Saxon flock; twenty
of these were picked out and bought by a far
rler, who so kept them that he had but seven
lambs, and did not shear two pounds of wool
from each eve. The refuse twenty were
purchased by another neighbor and so kept
that he raised twenty lambs from his twenty
ewes and sheared over four pounds Of wool
from each
The late lamented II. d. Grove commune
Gated to me, before his death, a stat ement
which tallies precisely with the above his be-
lief was that high feeding, in one or two gen
erations, would completely change the char
acter of the animal.
One statement more and l will finish this
too protracted discussion. l have stated
frankly and fearlcssly those facts which my
enquiries elected, and which tend materially
to encourage the grower of fine wool. have
done so because truth required it at my
hands. But | must also state that the staplcr
has pointed out a description Of wool which
must own appears to me to promise quite as
much pro fit as short stapled fine wool.
1t is fine soft wool of long staple, suited
to the manufacture of warps, shawls, and the
finer description Of fannels; it is also used
for filings, after having been sliced by ma
chinery,and thus converted into short stapled
wool Some manufacturers say it answers
their purpose well, but the better opinion is,
that for superior cloth there is no substitute
for short stapled wool. Large and heavy
1ecCeS OF JnlS KIM OF WOOL can ne pfOuuceu,
but they must not be confounded with heavy
wool that shrinks in the securing liquor fifty
per cent while the wool named shrinks only
thirty-three per cent.
The specimens have seen Of the wool from
Lord Weston's flock, recently imported by
Mr.. Jewett of Vern would seem to an
swer admirably for that purpose
Comhing wool is also much in request, and
the great increase of the machinery employed
for this purpose leaves no doubt that this kind
of wool will be largely in demand. The wool
that is required by the mousln DIES LANES
manufacturers requires staple of at least
three inches in length. In fineness it wants
to be between the Leicester and Merino-
Those conversant with this wool say that
probably cross between the Leicester and
Merino would furnish exactly the article. 1t
howevar must have GREAT STRENGTH of St1Dlo.