Nebraska advertiser., 1860-11-29

,El El11 rs From the Maine Farmer.
Selection OF Sheep.
II We have been interested, ,sof late, in
looking over the various reports of the
several Agricultural Societies and dis
cussions in other places, in regard to
4 sheep. There seems to be an increasing
attention 10 this class Of farm stock, and
/ inquiry ia regard 70 the best breeds for
mutton, as well as for wool. a.
Fof fine wool there can be but one
lquestion the Spanish Merino, with its
varieliess bears the palm for tins purpose.
| For mutton purposes, there is wider
] choice, and the opinions seem to be as
various in regard to their quality, as the
breeds are numerous. le
La the discussions in regard to sheep
raising, which were had at one Of the
meetings Of the New York Agricultural
4 Society, during their late Fair, Mr.. Pet
ltitbone of Vermont, speaking of fine
wool sheep, said he did rot like excess
lively gummY sheep, as they are not hardy
l-theIr wool being wet. When the gum
begins to run in the Spring, they want
blanketing. lo 1908 sat
A writer in The last number of the
Rural .Neg- Yorker, over the signature Of
'Steuben," takes up this subject, and ad-
vances many ideas which, according to
our limited experience, appearto bevery
correct and judicious. We have not room
TO publish his whole article, which is long,
and must therefore content ourselves with
making an abstract from such parts as
suit our present object. 81
/ Quoting Mr.. Pettitbone, be says that
he (P) asserts that those sheep with ex-
tremely greasy feeces should be discard
ed, as the wool becomes cold, and the
sheep chilled "Ste0beR'a agrees that
such gummy sheep are not hardy, but at
tributes this defect, not SO much to the
wool becoming cold, as to the draft which
such an excessive secretion Of grease
makes upon the system, thereby reducing
and weakeningi it. Such sheep, he says,
are unprofitable. as the fat inclipes too
much to the outside. Besides, such wool
is not profitable with the dealers, and
they dislike it.
Heathinks that an average of A 1I2 lbs.
of clean wool 70 the rfock, ought 20 satisfy
any reasonable breeder. He once bought,
as curiosity, the premium fleece taken
of at Sheep Fair, which weighed 30
Elbs.aand 6 6ozy He had it tcleaned for the
card, and its weight was reduced to z lbs.
IL OF.
He advises those who are selecting
bucks, not to look so much for grease in
the wool, as to a compact, eyenr fine
wool. = He also advises to shun bucks
i that have wrinkles on their, bodies, as.
they will be short-lived. Let the shirt,
lFsays he, fit snug to the body, a wrinkle or
two on the neck, and good flap across
the breast, are we'll enough. See that
your sheep have stocky forin-a peach
blow sllinAwool compact and long, par
ticularly on the belly, and certainly on
the legs, as low as the joints or lower,-z
and then, with good sheds and keeping,
you will find grease enough at shearing,
and they VIII be pretty sure to have
good constitution.
His remarks In regard to crossing
large Leicester bucks with Merinos, are
correct. as we know from some attempts
we made several years ago in getting
uniform mia with a Dishley buck and
Merino ewes. This, he thinks, is getting
the "cart before the horse" The pro-
cess. should be. reversed, by putting Mer-
/ ino bucks to the large Leicester, or Cots
void ewes; and his reasons for it are
these: The Leicester lamb, being large,
requires much more milk than the Meri-
no, and with his Merino mother is starv-
ed for the want of full stomach. The
consequence Is, he grows up a stinted
sheep, covered with coarse wool; while.
/ on the other hand, the Merlno lamb re-
quires less amount of nourishment, but
! gets from his Leicester mother sur
! plus, and he comes up strong and hearty,
and invariably with finer, better staple
of wool than the other cross. =
After all what "Steuben" and his
mode is the best one and others say, in
regard to crossing .Merlnos and Leices-
tiers, 1t is a hap-hazard business for the
few first generations at any rate. Some
of the lambs will be Leicesters or of the
coarse wool type, and others Of the Mer-
ino type. The great object of such
breeding seems to ke, to get a Merino
fleece upon Leicester body; or, in 9TH
er words 10 get Merino sheep with its
beautifully fine staple, with the strong,
robust, capacious body of the coarser
breeds. This seems to be contrary TO
.Rater.'' The late Charles Vaughan of
Hallowell, experimental in this way sew
eral years, crossing the Dishley and Me-
rino IN various ways. He obtained some
finely formed animals, but they could not
he relied upon 10 produce their Like
Their progeny would "cry back as
breeders say-some to one side and some
to the other. The nearest that any have
come to II are the French Merinos, so
called, and these have not feeces Of SUI
perlatfue fineness of staple. 8.
Curling deer skins with the hair on.
The following is a recipe proposed by
/ the editor Of the IRISH Formers Gazeiis
!. Steep the skins in water and wash
them well till they are soft and clean;-
a ! IL tb..-o1 - .I,,,