New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-07
IMPORTANT TO FARMERS.


hory Of ths domestic sheep an account of its early
cultivation and Improvement by the Romans under the
Empire By whom the Merino sheep appear to have
hen GRATED by scientific system Of crossbreeding
.tws.p tie loDg-hsired wild African white woolled
hsep, tie black or brown native aocks Of Spain, aud
he tettsr but exquistely fne-wooed sheep Of Gala.
bns end TsIentum, and by whom sheep husbandry
sp carried 40 far, that il is said Of Coumelss book,
vsbisaed il the reign Of the Emperor Caudus, ID.
Il. ocIcsuirg this important topic, that the system
zhct i, recommends and inculcates is precisely that
vto.icsc to tbs day Spain, and considered the best
method by the most Intelligent ani scientific sneeP-
ysstis.
Of tsis method we shall speak hereafter, when We
anna IN ires. Of the Mefnoes and other families Of
sparish sheep, the improvements made or sought 70
be made IL tsem BY crossiDg with rams from Bnbhy,
their il n duo,on into England, Sesia Saxony and tue
United Ststss ard tho benefit accruing to the hocks,
and moIe especially to the wool Of those countries from
hat measure. AT pesent-in view OF the fact that the
original sci what may be called the native shsep'stock
pths Ur.ted States is in very great degree, directly,
.e osp,i, Of the various English breeds brought ou.
ID tie fret iustaIce casually, with no particular or SCI
enc selection and brought together almost at random,
until aSout the commencement Of the present century,
When beth tere and in the mother country ike oil
per aaches Of agriculture sheep husbsDdry received
decisive forward impetus, which has continued con-
saDiy ca the ncressewe propose to limit ourselves
20 brief consideration of the various British families
Of sheep they at present exist with their respective
qualities atd characteristics.
Sheep. in England are row scientifically divided ac'
cOicrg to their 1eeces their quality fneness and the
pgh q u cir wool into the long wooed, the middle
Wooed ard the short.woOlod varieties.
Tie fesoe of the long g-wooed sheep, which are held
70 be O( en- original British family, s on an average
seh Dc;ee in lepgth. 1t is distinguished not Ouy for
neosta bv fer ts strength ts transparency, it's com
paretivs stoutness and the little degree 10 which it
csSessso TIE telling qualify The Leicester sheep, as
improved by Mr.. Bskewel, may be considered the
beet type Of this family, and the blood of the improved
Leicester BSkewells has been go largely intermi1ed
With al I'VE other long-woOed families, as tie Ln-
cOlra, Rouusy Marsh, the Teeswater, the Ba'npton
and tie CosTold families all Of which have got no. by
means OF Se cross OF their characteristics which were
IN the main characteristic faus-as in the ihncolns,
gsuItress u form and cosIse entsngled wool aud 10
le Rtuuey Marsh sheep, roughness of shape. length
of leg sa5 coaiseness of woo-that all the long w)oled
sheep may be said now to approximate to ore bomo-
yepeous f my. Some OF tue breeds Of this family have
sta, o nearly double the length of that mentioned es
tie pIinC,psl one. The long wool is that which OF all
tho wcoS Las been most improved n reosnt yearsi
is tiue British staple of orensI Bntsh crign, apd
s,li p,cdiotd i'll Great Bntsn only 10 absolute per-
iectios Much of this wool is row raised ii France
sld Belgium AID the United States are fast Using into
inpol,srce SIS a woo-growipg country; il is in msoy
yuticulsrs remarkably qualified for success 10 this
tsICh cf agriculture and will undoubtedly at some
nCt 6ssu' period assume commanding position among
The rstious Of the earth in regard to this highly impor
'subis0ea CT tona wealth IL may be ere observed
hat tie oas wool u itself clas cd urder two separate
dfy.iols distinguished as well by the hneness a. by
lie l1s.h the fiber. The first which is known as
ihe loSg cCmbng wool, is of long, hrm, hard e'sPe,
title tspos ed 20 felt and is used Tor the MANUFACTURE
hard e,n and the worsted goodsto which tina, threAd
i adS, ted. The short-combng wool has shorter
esIe, is finer softer ard more fslty, and the fet,
sheo made is both closer end softer is the most de-
.rabe Of s woods for the manufacture Of eecy hosiery.
The middle wool is article, and is rapidly Ia
0essirg il quantity ard value but vii never, 1t IS DO
hsyed, equal much less superceie, the iong wool Of
be native British fleece. The sheep which yie1s this
Eoo ia The produce Of cross, which IL said 70 be Be-
coming moIe numerous every year. Ii bthe result oi
tNseng tie wes cf the SOu,hdown, Norfolk, o. some
oihsr e., Il wooded breed TO the Lsices.er ram. IL
apes to Istauing the early maturity aud highiat.en-
g ter1srsss Of the Leicester breed, and TO oonbins
10 uest gree the length and toughDeSs OF fiber q
he Lee tex wool with the hGensss aud ieItness OF
hst Of tie e,o.t-wooled families. Norfolk AID S1ffok
a. s inopsl breeding counties Of THE valuable va
re.y o -Aeep but they are raised in al paIts ., tbs
krgd,m WI ere the nature Of the pasue aud the face
o,he co.fny favors the introduction OF such breed
This s5s.e wcol tie average length OF the staple OF
shCa iye riches is u:ed sdyaLtseeousiy sud efseI-
ssty "a tie malufsctuIe Of ,vtry KIND o. ne href
sootn ode Il 10 corstaLty iisrg IN yaue, sld .tsncs
kyt N fouk to the best Of the cIg wool. rder the
head Oi middle woods nog clsssed generally a.
hoss fleece. which, while bGt tive osvisions we're &c
nti wsic classcd Us ont woods, such az the )rth-
Ssc NcifoD. sud,lk, Dorset, Ryiand aid Cbeyc.
WOOL exeter WIN those Of msny other tamus' no.
tsGtbt tumel,us or spyesG over sufficiently .srgs
area e en'Iy, 60 have gained distinctive names. lie
hssIrc asivsly OF British w,os hese eecss would
all Csss1 eS shot woos, bu, when viewed IL rsSHd D!
Negr voCs they under he classification Of .as
hdc.e eis. These voo's however, which were fov
,try re tde and boast Of the Eoglsh sheer raiser
ss wioA WtIe extensively used in the iabrcarc n Il
TIER gssis have been g'sc cu.lly losirg ground, arc
4. n lorssT used in Gee co,hs on rg 70 tie improved
etsrs-s eid seftress of tie lorg wocs .hs s-ersth
sdleosth of ib. Of which gives then manifest su-
l'helry well as 20 the f.ut hist the improy.l ,cns
'co @d sNe middle wool Of the cross bred s5esp dc
~iiotd above, can lie furnished st !ar lows. p,ics
asa teas q ,ho beeutila old sbcytwoc'ti B-.,i,h
"eees Ias slspIs Of these cd British sto'; we:is
70. cal'i Middle woe.., Is shout thee itohe, I'D =
Aa ihese "cols are nor used chiefly II :s' manu-
"Saie ci sa'y a'd osyy cl,tL. assas', ;'es, Ca.